THE Agricultural Seed Agency (ASA) is expected to meet agro-dealers across the country to brainstorm ways of enhancing the supply of improved sunflower seeds in rural areas.

Edward Mbugi, ASA's Marketing Manager revealed this to the Guardian at the ongoing 31st Tanzania Agricultural International Expo.

"The government decided to subsidize the sunflower seeds in order to bolster production and tasked ASA to ensure the seeds are available to all farmers across the country, specifically in rural areas," he said.

"We had prior entered into working contracts with a number of agro-dealers to help marketing the seeds to farmers, but our study found that the majority of farmers in rural areas are not getting the seeds at subsidized prices.”

He said ASA will continue working to set and implement proper strategies to multiply and distribute improved seeds varieties to the farmers in all agricultural zones in the country.

Speaking for his part, ASA's Acting Production Manager, Benjamin Mfupe said the agency has introduced three new varieties for sunflower, wheat and sorghum.

He said introduction of the seeds, which include the open pollinated varieties (OPV) for wheat and sorghum and the hybrids for sunflower target to improve production and productivity.

He named the new seeds as TARISO II (Sorghum), Sun Bloom (sunflower) and SST 884 of wheat.

"The new sunflower variety, Sun Bloom and the SST 884 of wheat have been imported in the country so as to quench the thirst of the high demand for the improved seeds within the sector,"

"So far, we have imported at least 700 tons of Sun Bloom variety, the good seed which will now enables the farmers to yield between 16 and 18 sacks per acre," he said.

He said the new hybrid sunflower seed is available at a cheap price of at least 10,000/-per one kg, instead of 45,000/= as sold by other seed companies. 

Explaining over the growing potential of the variety, he said with the seed, the farmers will stand a chance to harvest sunflower around 110 days after planting, as early maturing variety, he added that the variety produces large head with seed of good oil content. 

Mfupe said the local wheat farmers must have all reasons to smile as well, unveiled that the imported new variety of SST 884 possesses high growing potential with wide range of adaptation.

"With the variety, it takes between 90 to 110 days for the farmers to harvest, and the seed has capacity to produce at between 14 and 18 sacks per acre," he said.

He said that experience proved that the variety imported from Zambia flourishes well in several regions across the country, including Dodoma (central zone), Southern Highlands regions, Arusha, and Kilimanjaro.

He added that ASA has already dispatched a total 500 tons of the useful seed in at least 12 municipalities with wheat production. 

He named the areas as Makete, Makambaku, Njombe, Arusha, Wangin'gombe, Ludewa, Siha, Monduli, Hanang, Babati, Sumbawanga and Nkasi.

However, he added that ASA has also distributed a total of 692.9 tons of local made wheat varieties, namely Juhudi and Sifa, saying the farmers can buy and use the improved varieties to boost productivity.

Pertaining to the new sorghum seed, TARISO II, Mfupe said the seed has been hatched by the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), saying the variety is potential in terms of resistant to diseases, including destructive birds, and it has capacity to turn out between 14 and 16 sacks within for one acre.