Tanzania Workers At TPHPA To Be Empowered With Science And Technology For Efficiency And Effectiveness In Service Delivery
TANZANIA Plant Health and Pesticides Authority (TPHPA), has said it will empower its workers with modern science and technology, so that they can have more knowledge on controlling crops’ disruptors to facilitate trade food security and efficiency in traders and agricultural stakeholders.
The statement was recently given by Acting director general of TPHPA, Prof. Joseph Ndunguru when he visited Tanzania Initiative for Preventing Aflatoxin Contamination (TANIPA), centred at Kibaha in Coastal region.
Prof. Ndunguru it is time for modern farming, using new technology to obtain great and quality yield as well as soil management.
“Successful agricultural production needs new technology, and we are going to see this happen in order to enhance efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery to farmers’ ‘, he said.
He informed that the fifth government of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, through the Ministry of agriculture has created a good environment for the services by building a modern laboratory which will diagnose a wide range of diseases.
Furthermore, Prof.Ndunguru commended the Ministry of agriculture, through Tanzania Initiative for Preventing Aflatoxin Contamination (TANIPA), for building modern laboratories to test and control fungicides for consumers’ safety as well as credibility in domestic and international trade.
The authority aims at reducing high uses of synthetic pesticides by using environmentally friendly technology.
Mohamed Njaku, supervisor at TANIPA, said the centre is proud of fighting mealybugs including Cassava mealybug using wasp family of Apoannagyrus lopezi, Cassava green mites by using wasp family of Typholodromallus aripo, Water hyacianth control by using beetles, and Spiralling Whitefly by using wasp Encarsia dispersa and Encarsia guadlopupae.
TANIPA was established in 1990 following the emerging of Cassava mealybug disease,which has been put under control by 80 per cent.
By Mutayoba Arbogast, Tanzania
