The Same District Council in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, has launched a campaign to encourage farmers to switch from cultivating khat, a crop deemed illegal, to growing avocados. This initiative aims to change the farmers' mindset and improve their economic well-being by offering a more profitable alternative.
According to Yusto Mapande, the District Council Chairman, over 1,000 seedlings of new avocado varieties have already been distributed across several wards. The initial response from the farmers has been positive. He stated during the council's ordinary meeting that the goal of the initiative is to help farmers earn a decent income from avocados rather than khat.
Mapande expressed optimism about the future, stating that if the avocado program is successful, the economic landscape of Same could be transformed within three years. The farmers are projected to earn between 2.0m/- and 3.0m/- per acre of avocados cultivated.
Upendo Wela, Same’s District Administrative Secretary (DAS), confirmed the council's full commitment to the success of the program. She mentioned that President Samia Suluhu Hassan, in a recent visit to Same, had ordered the district to ensure the eradication of khat plants.
Wela was representing the Same District Commissioner (DC), Kasilda Mgeni. Concurrently, Anastazia Tutuba, the Same District Executive Director (DED), announced that the council leadership has established a disaster and rescue committee. This committee, composed of experts from various departments within the district’s administration, will address different types of disasters when they occur. This includes members from the district's security organs.
Source: Daily News