The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has donated equipment worth 42m/- to support M-Kilimo contact centre. The equipment will increase access and use of weather information in agricultural production and were donated under building capacity for resilient food security portfolio. The centre is under Ministry of Agriculture.
Ministry of Agriculture, Meteorologist Mr. Mponda Malonzo said the donation supports government's efforts to address weather variations and climate change related challenges towards zero hunger and food security. "Weather variations and climate change impact on agricultural seasons further exemplify the need for informed decision making in agricultural production using local weather and advisory" said Mr. Malonzo.
The equipment for the project both to be implemented in Mainland and Zanzibar included computer, television, chairs, tables among others whose implementing partners are jointly donated by the United States Department of Agriculture through the FAO , World Agroforestry centre and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) .
The project in close collaboration with the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA), through Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), is contributed to building TMA's internal capacity on the preparations of the district down scaled seasonal forecast and advisory. The internal capacity for seasonal forecast and advisory has now started to be prepared by the TMA for all districts in the country using standard template developed under the project.
The Kilimo Contact Centre aims to capitalise on the TMA's district downscaled forecast to increase timely access and use of weather information and advisory by agriculture stakeholders through mobile phones. With a target of reaching more than 6,000 extension officers countrywide, M-Kilimo aims to ensure extension officers are well informed of seasonal forecasts and advisories tor timely advice to agricultural stakeholders in their localities.