WHITE SESAME GIVES NEW HOPE FOR SOUTHERN REGION - OMARY MWAIMU

Omary Mwaimu

BY OMARY MWAIMU  
Farmers in Lindi and Mtwara regions have grown over
4,000 hectors of white sesame after the discovery of lucrative
markets of the crop in China and other foreign countries.
Institutional coordinator of the Amsha Institute of Rural
Entrepreneurs East Africa, Omari Mwaimu told The Guardian on
Sunday that although they have already cultivated the crop in
wide acreage, demand is still high.

Currently white sesame has been cultivated in Kilwa Masoko
especially in Somanga village, Ndumbo, Kinjumbi, Miumbu),
Lindi district white sesame has also been cultivated in various
villages that includes Luchemi, Kinyope, Hoyoyo, while in
Nanyumbu district it has been cultivated in Sengereni village.
Through the said acreage, farmers expect to harvest more than
300 tons of sesame that would be sold to businessmen who
come to the farms to purchase the crop.

“As AMSHA Institute we express thanks to the Naliendele
Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) and other researchers
where skilled personnel and consultants have managed to
transform farmers from believing that they are poor to seeing
themselves as potentially rich based on the rich resources they
are endowed with.
Right now the majority of farmers in Lindi and Mtwara regions
have shifted from traditional farming to commercial farming and
right now they have huge market for white sesame crop.
He expressed gratitude to the Sokoine University of Agriculture
(SUA) in Morogoro, and Ilonga Agricultural Institute in Kilosa
also in Morogoro Region because through their training and
consultant services, right now all farmers engaged in this
farming, have huge market for what they grow across the
country and foreign countries.
The introduction of new technologies from research institutes
and other sources has helped farmers to access huge market
for the crop, he said.

For farmers willing to join Amsha Institute, right now AMSHA
members are a mixture of ordinary, lowly educated and rural
dwelling but highly committed, and the highly educated, middle
income urban dwellers, who are strongly interested in
agriculture and associated activities. AMSHA concentrates its
efforts in activities related to mindset change training and the
use of sustainable methodologies, technologies and skills.

“We believe that this methodology will strongly demonstrate the
potential of the local experts working hand in hand with the
local communities and showing their full human commitment
towards spearheading changes to bring about development and
improve the standard of living of the participating
communities,” he said.

SOURCE: GUARDIAN ON SUNDAY