Zanzibar: Farmers Struggle To Find Market
@Giovanna Patani
Cassava farmers in Zanzibar do not have enough market for the amount of Cassava they are producing, as a result of improved hybrid cassava varieties of the product. Meanwhile, thousands of kilometres away in the Mara region people are scrambling for this product, a consequence of the enduring lack of suppliers of plant cuttings and clean planting materials.
Below is an article by All Africa:
As cassava farmers in Zanzibar struggle to find market for their produce, people in Mara Region eat partly rotten cassava meal porridge as viruses have ravaged the crop. Most cassava farmers in Zanzibar have managed bumper harvests but the market is wanting hence forcing them to leave tons of the tuber to go bad.
"We have too much cassava with very little market," said Zahir Hamis Faki, a member of Kilombero Cassava Development Cooperative in North Unguja district. Mr Faki said improved hybrid cassava varieties have enabled smallholder farmers produce good harvests, but limited use of the tuber by islanders means markets have to be found elsewhere.
"Sometimes we have traders from Unguja town who come to buy the commodity but it's not an assured market," said Hadida Shadir also a member of Kilombero group. Most Zanzibaris eat rice as a staple while cassava comes in second mainly consumed by people who migrated from the mainland and other neighbouring countries.
Haji Saleh who is a Director at Zanzibar Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI), said four hybrid varieties have been developed which are high yielding and resistant to pests and diseases.
"We are currently training farmers in value addition to avoid post-harvest losses which account for up to 40 per cent," said Mr Saleh.
While Zanzibar farmers are thus struggling with their tubers for a market, thousands of kilometres in North-west of the Spice islands in Mara Region, farmers and consumers buy a bucket of 5kg cassava flour at 2,500/- or 500/- a kilogramme.
"Maize flour which is a second staple here is selling at 1,800/- a kilogramme and people are scrambling for it," said Mwita Charles who is Butuguli ward councillor in Butiama district.
Mara region whose residents eat cassava as a staple have been battling Cassava Mosaic and Brown Streak Diseases for the past two decades.
Apart from quality cassava for food, farmers are also struggling to get cuttings for planting often recycling diseased planting material which worsens the situation.
"Shortage of planting materials has forced farmers to steal cuttings from each other's farms at night," said Samuel Sassi, Mara Regional Agriculture Development Officer.
Mr Sassi said demand for clean planting materials, especially hybrids was high because of lack of suppliers of the cuttings which largely originate from Ukiriguru Agriculture Research Institute in Mwanza Region.
