Tanzania is now producing almost 50 percent of bean seeds in demand requirements saving a considerable amount that goes back to seed recycling per year.
The quantity of seeds recycling, according to agro-economists, makes the country, for the first time to walk towards independence in producing beans seed.
Also, the amount enabled the country to save almost 5.0 percent of beans used as seeds recycling each year, which is bad practice. For instance, last year, the country produced 1.2 million tonnes of common beans of which 60,000 tonnes were used as seeds.
Tanzania Pulses Network, National Coordinator, Zirack Andrew, said a recent study involved collecting a number of beans samples sold in different markets in the country, reveals that 50 percent of them had DNA of seeds developed by public institutions dedicated in seed development.
"One thing that has been flying below the radar is the fact that many of the improved common beans seeds were imports," Mr. Andrew told 'Daily News' yesterday.
Also, seeds recycling for beans last year were termed as the highest compared to other major food crops. It was by far followed by wheat and crops like banana.
"This percentage was noted to be the highest of all other major food crops produced in that year, only followed by wheat by far, crops like banana, potatoes and cassava had zero recycling," the National Coordinator, who is an Agri-Economist, said. However, the study revelation painted a clear picture of sowing towards beans seed independency.
"The fact is that we are moving towards seed independency, cutting down importation while keeping up the pace of technology adoption," Mr. Andrew said.
However, there is a concern regarding prices which are not farmers friendly to fuel recycling of seeds for beans. Researches showed that a small-holder farmers currently averaging at around 100,000/-, which was not sufficient to support family and buying seeds.
Nevertheless, analysts, have it that seeds which are developed within the borders, even if the larger share will be in the hands to private players, it is easy to control them through legislation, civil impression or political persuasion.
"In an ideal imagination no one can go out of control if is in the particular country," Mr. Andrew said.
According to Climate-Smart Agriculture in Tanzania report for CSA Country Profiles for Africa Series produced jointly by International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and World Bank, 7.0 percent of the country of the land under production is used for the cultivation of beans.
The average yield of beans (dry) was 888 kilogrammes per hectare in 2017.
Common beans, despite its relatively low profitability, the report issued in 2019 said, was considered a key value chain crop because of its inclusiveness, nutritional value, food security contribution and cash-crop importance - 60 percent of the produced volumes are commercialised in the local market - and nitrogen fixation.