THE Agricultural Seed Agency (ASA) has signed a contract with youth for the second phase Building a Better Tomorrow: Youth Initiative for Agribusiness (BBT-YIA) for production of maize seeds.

Under the agreement, the state-owned seed multiplication agency has tasked the youth involved in the project to produce over 8,400 tonnes of C105 maize variety kernels.

Each youth participant is expected to produce high-yielding maize seeds on a 10-acre plot, with an expected harvest of two tonnes per acre.

As part of the second phase of the project in Dodoma Region, a total of 420 youth will produce maize seeds at   Ndogoye farm in Chamwino District, covering 4,200 acres this season.

Yesterday, the selected youth from various regions began arriving in Dodoma in preparation for the production process.

Expressing their expectations, the   participants shared optimism that the initiative would not only boost food security in the country but also improve their livelihoods.

Daniel Buu, a young farmer from Babati District in Manyara Region, praised the government for theproject, noting that it plays a significant role to   empower youth economically.

Lumbo Yohana, another young farmer from Chamwino District in Dodoma Region, stated that the project offers a viable solution to the challenge of youth unemployment in the country.

"This project brings together youth from diverse social and educational backgrounds under the same initiative, creating an opportunity to learn from each other about key agricultural production issues," said Joseph Tito, a farmer from Mwanza Region.

During the first phase of the project in Dodoma, ASA entered into a contract with 260 youth to produce sunflower oil seeds at Chinangali II seed farm in Chamwino District.

Through the agreement, the youth produced sunflower seeds (record variety) over a 300-acre plot.

The initiative, running from 2022 to 2030, was designed by the Ministry of Agriculture in partnership with key institutions to enhance youth engagement in agriculture for sustainable and improved livelihoods. The initiative focuses on training and mentoring youth through diverse programmes.

BBT-YIA project was formulated through a participatory approach, involving the government, private sector, development partners and other stakeholders. It is meant to contribute to achieving the Agenda 10/30, which aims to increase youth employment by one million and achieve 10 percent growth rate in agriculture sector by 2030.