35% of the total sesame export in Tanzania. Sesame is the second most lucrative crop farmed in the
region, after cashews, and farmers can make about $200-$400 per acre.
This demand has made sesame farming a threat to natural resources located in the southern regions
of Lindi and Mtwara. In 2012 it was estimated the rate of agricultural expansion is at 5% annually which exposes over 61,000 hectares of forest reserve to farming. Sesame farmers believe that unused land produces higher yields so they burn huge swaths of forest to create their farms which they then only use
for the two or three seasons. In the 2020/2021 season, myAgro introduced sesame packages in Lindi and Mtwara districts to help alleviate the damage being done to the land. By providing seeds and fertilizers that help farmers to harvest more products in the same field they have already planted, myAgro is hoping to promote conservation. Also, myAgro training was provided to support farmers and help them learn the importance of fertilizer applications on the field that boost their sesame production without affecting their forestry reserves.
Bakari Namachi, a farmer from Narunyu Village in Lindi Rural District, enrolled with a half-acre
package of myAgro in the 2021/2022 season. Bakari prepared his field a few kilometers away from
his home to test if myAgro’s model and materials really works on sesame, as many farmers are used
to cultivating on unused land.
“I have been a farmer for a while, and in the past, I have just planted sesame without paying any
special attention to good practices, because I didn’t know better. In fact, I had never used fertilizer. When I registered with myAgro, I was taught how to select the appropriate piece of land, prepare the land, and how to plant. We were given a marked rope as part of the package. This rope would guide you on where to dig the holes. It is my first experience as a sesame farmer to observe such good plants in my field. With myAgro, you do not need to burn forestry or plant 30km away from your home searching for virgin land. Best results are found within our normal fields when planting with myAgro “
Written by Amos Kasanga – Program Manager (Tanzania)
