Meshack Moikan, Marurani Village, Arumeru.
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Mary Michael, Marurani Village, Arumeru
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Salome Paulo, Karangai Village, Arumeru.
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Marilyn Chottah, Northern Zone Project Officer
(Agriculture), Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
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It sounded
like a joke when the Catholic Relief Service (CRS) introduced pea
farming here for trials. This is because we all know that this plant
takes a full year to mature.
But the seeds that CRS have given
us are different because we planted in March and by August, the peas
were ready for harvest. We appeal to CRS to find us a market because
it seems now peas will be sustainable. |
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The new pea
seeds, need to be widely distributed for all peasants countrywide to
grow. At first, we treated it as a commercial legume, but we now
know better.
Peas are very good for health, as
nutritious food and can restore ailing people back to form. Besides,
it perseveres drought and doesn’t hinder the growth of other plants
if grown in mixed farming. |
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The peas
that we normally used to grow would take a full year, but the type
of seeds that CRS gave us, are surprisingly fast growing. The crop
is also resistant to diseases and cannot be attacked by insects.
Even the harvesting is much easier because the plants are much
shorter.
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The Catholic
Archdiocese of Arusha have always been giving out food relief in
times of drought, for Arusha and Manyara regions. This year however,
we have adopted a different approach to the problem. We now launch
sustainable farming of short term growing leguminous crops for
reliable food production in affected areas.
We started with training and later
on trial projects which have so far proved to be successful. I think
other farmers need to follow and adopt this example. |
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