Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute

TARI Ilonga through the AGRA support project organized a remarkable training workshop on 09th January 2024 at Edema Hotel in Morogoro. The workshop aimed to train 24 Managing Directors (MDs) of sunflower seed companies. Also, a new employee at TARI Ilonga who works with the AGRA Project participated fully in the training. The participants were welcomed by the esteemed Centre Director Dr Emmanuel Chilagane, who set the tone for the day by wishing them a Happy New Year 2024. He called upon them to participate fully in the training by giving their views and engaging in discussions.

The training workshop covered a broad range of topics that were all related to various sunflower seed production techniques. The AGRA Project Manager, Frank Mulamila Reuben, presented a comprehensive project overview on accelerating the production and delivery of Early Generation Seed (EGS) to increase the availability and accessibility of sunflower quality seeds in Tanzania. Reuben emphasized the importance of knowledge sharing and announced that another three-day training would be held in July 2024 to provide more knowledge and insights to the participants on quality sunflower seeds. The Managing Directors of the sunflower seed companies were all thrilled with the training and acknowledged TARI Ilonga for conducting such a useful workshop. They were excited about the newfound knowledge and techniques they had learned, which would enable them to produce high-quality sunflower seeds to be distributed to farmers. The training covered a wide spectrum of topics, including Soil Moisture Conservation Techniques in Sunflower Seed Production by Eng Dr Festo Richard Silungwe, Existing Practices for Soil Fertility Management in Sunflower Seed Production by Dr Joel Meliyo, High-Quality Sunflower Seed Production Techniques by Mbwando Ally Dimosso, and Donor Intelligence in Securing Grants for Sunflower Seed Production by Jacob Gidale Kiyyo. Experienced and knowledgeable professionals presented the topics to the participants, who shared their insights and expertise. This training workshop was an absolute success, achieving its objectives and providing useful insights to the Managing Directors and research assistants. The participants gained valuable knowledge on various sunflower seed production techniques and appreciated the efforts of TARI Ilonga and AGRA for organizing such a useful training workshop. The workshop has empowered the Managing Directors and research assistants to produce high-quality sunflower seeds that ultimately benefit the farmers.