Tanzania: Flower growers turn to organic farming
A flower farmer from Hai District, Ms Alicia Godwin notes that with the climate change effects, the unproductive trend in the sector and to be on course in safeguarding the environment, she has decided to jump in organic farming.
Organic farmers are restricted by regulations to using natural pesticides and fertilizers. An example of a natural pesticide is pyrethrin, which is found naturally in the chrysanthemum flower. It is an alternative agricultural system that was initiated in reaction to rapidly changing farming practices.
The Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS), along with Ardhi University (ARU) and the United Nations Environment Agency (UNEP) are in the campaign and have been with growers to see to it that they go organic.
TBS Acting Director General, Dr Egid Mubofu says TBS is ready to offer expertise on how its stakeholders, specifically coffee and flower growers, could benefit by applying required techniques that would give them more yield in quality and quantity, boosting individual and national economy.
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