IITA and Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), through the Muhogo Bora (Better Cassava) program, recently organized an intensive training for extension officers, district agricultural officers, and regional agricultural advisors working in the Western Zone of Tanzania. The training is part of efforts to support the development and expansion of seed systems in the cassava subsector.
The five-day-long training was held from 14 to 18 March in Kasulu District, Kigoma Region, with 61 participants from Katavi, Tabora, and Kigoma regions and training facilitators from IITA, TARI, and the Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI). The training introduced the commercialized cassava seed systems model. Extension workers learned about good agricultural practices, management of pests and diseases, cassava varieties identification, seed multiplication, seed quality control, and the registration process. They also learned about the seed business to help them understand the cassava seed system and better support the farmers they serve, and digital tools such as Seed Tracker and PlantVillage Nuru.