Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute

Farmers at Ekenywa village, Arumeru district in Arusha Region have said that training on the production and use of bio-pesticides will help them reduce the cost of agriculture and also improve environment preservation.

The farmers have said this immediately after receiving training on the production and use of bio-pesticides from the researchers of the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) Selian Arusha center which was held in the village earlier this week by the members of the Namaiyana group in Endurut ward.

"This training will help us to reduce the intensity of using industrial pesticides because we were taught today how to make it ourselves using bio-pesticides available in our areas at low cost. I also advise other farmers to use these pesticides and from what we have learned we should be ambassadors to educate our colleagues", said Joseph Kivuyo, a farmer in Ekenywa.

Lilian Mungaya Molel added that through the training given to them, they have been able to see how small farmers can make pesticides in their environment but before the training farmers with no money had to wait while the crops continue to spoil in the field.

"The bio-pesticides we use are neem, hot pepper and Tephrosia plant which are available in our area and will be able to help us for example if industrial medicines is used in vegetables a farmer cannot pick them at a short time because there are still chemicals in there but if you use bio-pesticides you can pick vegetables without effects", explained Lilian.

A researcher from the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) Selian Arusha center Deodatus Kiriba has said that through the EWA-BELT project they have been able to conduct an experiment in collaboration with the farmers of the Namaiyana group on bio-pesticides that can prevent insects especially in lablab and beans.

"Studies show that the use of a mixture of different plants such as neem, hot pepper and Tephrosia plant can help kill various pests and the quality is the same as that of industrial drugs so the use of bio-pesticides can help the farmer in reducing the costs of agriculture by to use the resources they have", emphasized Kiriba.