Tume ya Taifa ya Umwagiliaji

📍 NIRC: Katavi.

The Government, through the National Irrigation Commission (NIRC), has handed over 52 irrigation pumps worth over 500 million shillings to 46 farmer groups in the Katavi region, as a measure to increase productivity, expand cultivated areas, and strengthen food security.

The distribution ceremony took place at the Katavi Regional Commissioner's Office, with the region being among the beneficiaries of the first phase of the plan to enhance the use of irrigation technology in agriculture.

Speaking on behalf of the Katavi Regional Commissioner, the District Commissioner for Tanganyika, Mr. Onesmo Buswelu, urged the identified group members not to change the intended use of the equipment by utilizing them for brick-making instead of crop production.

Buswelu emphasized that the Government aims to see farmers practicing agriculture that observes environmental conservation and protection, rather than diverting or blocking rivers.

On the part of the National Irrigation Commission, the Director General, Mr. Raymond Mndolwa, explained that the pumps are specially designed for areas with flowing water and not for boreholes.

Mr. Mndolwa added that to protect the environment and prevent farming directly along the banks of water sources, the pumps are equipped with hoses over 60 meters long to draw from water sources, canals, or dams. He urged farmers to use them strictly for agriculture and not for other activities like brick-making.

Presenting a report on the pumps, the Katavi Regional Irrigation Engineer, Eng. Samson Bai, stated that the pumps will be distributed across all five district councils in the region and are expected to increase the irrigated area by approximately 2,080 acres.

Engineer Bai noted that each pump has the capacity to pump between 80 to 100 cubic meters of water per hour, enabling a single pump to irrigate up to 40 acres per day, while the presence of wheels allows for easy relocation from one area to another.

Alongside this, farmers in the region, including Tausi Masudi, thanked the Government for this crucial step in raising farmers' incomes through agriculture.

She stated that the pumps will relieve them of the hassle of using old generators that frequently broke down and caused the nuisance of damaged hoses.

Another farmer, Chausiku Omary, thanked President Samia Suluhu Hassan for providing them with the machines, explaining that they will help them cultivate various crops such as vegetables and maize, a step that will uplift their economy and enable them to educate their children.

The Katavi region has a total of 124,761 hectares suitable for irrigation farming, of which approximately 110,672 hectares are currently being developed through 29 irrigation schemes contributing to the production of rice, maize, beans, and vegetables.