More than 1.3 million farmers in the regions of Mbeya, Songwe, Rukwa and Ruvuma are set to benefit from a digital agriculture initiative that provides site-specific fertiliser recommendations and soil health assessments aimed at boosting the production of strategic crops, including maize, rice and Irish potatoes.
The project, implemented through a partnership between the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI)-Uyole Centre and Fondation OCP Tanzania, seeks to improve farm productivity by enabling farmers to access scientifically generated fertiliser recommendations through their mobile phones based on the condition of their soils.
The initiative will be rolled out in three phases: farmer training and the establishment of demonstration plots, soil health testing, and the development of digital soil maps to guide fertiliser use.
Speaking over the weekend, TARI-Uyole Senior Soil Health Researcher, Mr Fredrick Mlowe, said the project is designed to improve farmers' incomes by replacing blanket fertiliser application with recommendations tailored to the specific needs of individual farms.
Before the official rollout, researchers conducted pilot trials in more than 23 locations across the country covering maize, rice and Irish potato production.
They also established 25 demonstration plots to showcase the benefits of applying the right type and quantity of fertiliser.
"We have already completed trials in more than 23 locations and established 25 demonstration farms. Most of them are now at the harvesting stage, and the results show that this technology has great potential to increase agricultural productivity," Mr Mlowe said.
He added that the programme aims to reach more than 1.3 million farmers, helping them increase crop yields and improve household incomes through more efficient fertiliser use.
Another senior researcher at TARI-Uyole, Dr Denis Tippe, urged farmers to adopt improved seed varieties and use seedlings of the recommended age to maximise production.
According to Dr Tippe, results from the demonstration farms show that farmers who adopted the recommended technologies increased yields from an average of 30 bags per acre to 46 bags per acre—an increase of more than 50 percent.
TARI researcher Mr Watson Matamwa advised rice farmers to transplant seedlings that are between 14 and 21 days old and apply basal fertiliser within seven days after transplanting to ensure crops absorb nutrients efficiently during their early growth stages.
Fondation OCP Tanzania extension officer Mr Hemed Mayanda commended the government for continuing to invest in the agricultural sector and for collaborating with TARI to provide farmers with practical training on proper fertiliser use through demonstration farms.
Uturo Village Chairperson Mr Katekista Musa Kivambe said the training has already begun changing farmers' attitudes by encouraging them to move away from traditional farming practices towards science-based agriculture.
"We used to rely on old seed varieties and applied only urea fertiliser without considering the correct timing. The knowledge we have received from TARI has opened our eyes, and we believe it will significantly increase both agricultural production and farmers' incomes," he said.
