Farmers in the villages of Chemba and Kondoa districts have lost hope of any corn harvest this year resulting from extreme hot weather which is drying their fields.
Aziza Hussein, an over 60-year-old woman is among those affected by the weather as her one-acre farm in Sambwa village has been completely dried.
Ms Aziza is one among many villagers without any hope of harvesting corn this year, just like farmers in her neighboring villages of Keikei, Potea, Mauno and Salare including Isini and Gwandi in Chemba districts.
For the past several years, Inades-Formation Tanzania has been imparting farmers with the knowledge on best farming practices in these districts villages on the best agronomics practices including intercropping, integrated farming, nine seeded holes and rainwater farming techniques among others.
The project officer, Agriculture with Inades-Formation Tanzania Mr. Michael Kihwele recently advised farmers in these villages to come up with alternatives sources of income for their survival in the villagers where apart from maize, farmers also grow millet and sorghum as their staple food.
He told farmers during his recent visit to assess the drought situation in the villages that should the rains come this March, farmers needed to start considering planting early maturity and drought resistant seeds, including having local sweet potato varieties.
“We also need to start looking at keeping chicken. This will help us to not entirely depend on farming,” he said.
Climate change impacts is affecting to the greater extent the majority rural women, because in Tanzania, just like many other African countries, women are more responsible with household chores of ensuring water and food availability and also fetching firewood for cooking.
By Special Reporter
