Utete, TZ – Dickson invests in agribusiness – 15 Jan 2020

Dickson, the owner of his own Toyo delivery business, completed the initial phase of his agribusiness investment by planting sesame seeds, a cash crop in Tanzania.

Dickson farmed 2.5 acres of sesame and expecting a harvest of 450kg (992 lbs) by June. He developed and is following his own design, budget, and schedule to make sure his investment of 150,000 TZS ($65 USD) pays off.

He is expecting to sell his sesame crop to the Tanzania government which will earn him a total of 900,000 TZS ($394 USD). Dickson plans to use this money to invest in next year’s farming activities as well as helping his wife start her own business.

As is the usual challenge down in Utete, the availability of good seeds is rare. Traveling to Dar Es Salaam is also troublesome because it’s hard to find a trustworthy vendor.

Next year Dickson will use his investments to trial the hybrid seed developed by the Tanzania Agriculture Research Institute. The Institute is preparing seeds and ensuring quality for farmers for net year. The better seed could triple his outcome.