FARMERS in Bombani Ward of Muheza District, Tanga Region have been encouraged to integrate both digital technologies and traditional agricultural knowledge to enhance agricultural productivity.

The advice follows concerns raised by the ward’s residents regarding this year's low harvest during a public meeting held here to review the village's income and expenditure for the second quarter of 2024.

The meeting also served as a farewell to the villages' political leaders, concluding their tenure from 2019 to 2024 ahead of upcoming local government elections later this year.

Mary Mtunguja, Bombani Ward agriculture, and livestock officer highlighted the growing role of digital technology in agriculture, acknowledging challenges such as limited access to digital tools and connectivity issues in rural areas.

“Despite sufficient rainfall this year, its unpredictability posed challenges, particularly for smallholder farmers who lack digital weather forecasting skills. For those without access, relying on indigenous knowledge and practices is their only option,” she remarked.

She emphasized the importance of sharing modern agricultural knowledge within local communities, believing collaboration between experts and farmers could significantly improve agricultural outcomes through shared experiences and practices.

During the meeting, villagers expressed concerns about the village government's delayed distribution of rat poison, attributing it as a significant factor contributing to poor maize harvests due to rodent infestations.

“For instance, all the maize seeds I planted on my two-acre farm were consumed by rats and mice despite my repeated efforts to control them, this was compounded by delayed rains,” lamented Ramadhani Isaya, a resident of Bombani.