.jpg)
Deputy Minister for Agriculture David Silinde has urged Tanzanians to preserve food harvested this year as the country prepares for the possibility of El Niño rains that could disrupt agricultural production.
Mr Silinde said weather forecasts issued by national and international authorities should be taken seriously, warning that excessive or abnormal rainfall could affect farming activities and create food security challenges in the following year.
“I urge citizens to take note of the information issued by national and international weather authorities regarding forecasts of El Niño rains this year,” Mr Silinde told Parliament on Wednesday.
“If El Niño occurs, there could be challenges in agricultural production, and that could increase the risk of hunger in the following year. Therefore, let us preserve the food we have,” he said.
Mr Silinde made the remarks in Dodoma on August 26, 2026, during the 13th Parliament’s Fourth Meeting and First Sitting.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Special Seats MP for Iringa Region Nancy Hassan Nyalusi, who sought clarification on when the Government would begin purchasing maize from farmers.
The warning comes at a time when farmers are harvesting and storing their crops, with the Government urging households to minimise post-harvest losses and maintain adequate food reserves.
El Niño is associated with changes in rainfall patterns that can bring unusually heavy rains in some areas while causing drier conditions in others. Such weather variations can affect crop production, infrastructure and food supply chains.
For farmers, timely access to weather information remains important in planning planting, harvesting, storage and other agricultural activities.
Mr Silinde’s appeal therefore puts food preservation at the centre of household preparedness, particularly as the country monitors the evolving weather outlook.
The Government has also continued to encourage farmers to improve post-harvest handling and storage to reduce losses and strengthen food security.
For households, the message is straightforward: protect this year’s harvest because food stored today could become an important buffer if production is disrupted next year.