{"id":17971,"date":"2026-06-20T13:00:44","date_gmt":"2026-06-20T13:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.iita.org\/news-item\/cassava-seed-business-changes-women-farmers-lives-in-tanzania\/"},"modified":"2026-06-29T16:55:39","modified_gmt":"2026-06-29T16:55:39","slug":"cassava-seed-business-changes-women-farmers-lives-in-tanzania","status":"publish","type":"news-item","link":"https:\/\/iita.org\/fr\/news-item\/cassava-seed-business-changes-women-farmers-lives-in-tanzania\/","title":{"rendered":"Le commerce de semences de manioc change la vie des femmes agricultrices en Tanzanie"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tanzania is building sustainable cassava-seed systems for high-quality seed through cassava seed entrepreneurs. However, women are often shut out of such business opportunities due to their lack of land, capital, and social norms that limit their mobility and literacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Saada
Saada Mkuyu, a cassava seed entrepreneur inspecting her cassava seed farm against the pests causing cassava disease. (Photo credit: Gloriana Ndibalema).<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A project designed to consider women\u2019s needs has overcome some barriers by modifying the selection requirements for cassava seed entrepreneurs (CSEs) and providing targeted support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saada Mkuyu \u2013 a 47-year-old farmer from Ulasa, Urambo district, Tabora region \u2013 is among the farmers who received knowledge, extension support, and cassava seeds as start-up capital from the project to become a CSE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy cassava seed business has changed my life; it makes me walk confidently,\u201d she said. \u201cI can provide for my family with food and household needs from my cassava \u2018shop\u2019 [farm],\u201d she added with a big smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)<\/a> collaborated with the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI)<\/a>, and Cornell University<\/a> to work on the Muhogo Bora project<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

IITA gender researcher in cassava Dr Millicent Liani<\/a>, said that the modified CSE requirements focused on enhancing gender responsiveness in the project by improving the ‘reach’ of women and other disadvantaged groups. The new requirements have been implemented in 19 districts across four regions of Tanzania\u2019s Western and central zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Saada
Saada with her husband on their three-acre cassava seed farm, excited with the performance of their cassava seed variety. (Photo credit: Gloriana Ndibalema).<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur early cassava study<\/a> highlighted women\u2019s lack of land, capital, and inability to meet the prerequisite isolation distance for seed production, among other challenges for women participating in the CSEs,\u201d Dr Liani said. \u201cThis project aimed to increase women\u2019s participation as CSEs. This was achieved by amending the selection requirements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The focus on women has positioned the Muhogo Bora project as a trailblazer and inspiration for root and tuber CSE projects in sub-Saharan Africa \u2013 the project serves as a model for inclusive and equitable seed-system development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other than intentionally modifying CSE selection requirements, strategies included providing support systems and addressing participation barriers such as lack of access to childcare or increasing awareness about savings and loan programs. The project is also developing new avenues to deliver planting materials to hard-to-reach rural areas to encourage women\u2019s participation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saada said that she knew only about traditional cassava farming before the project, which she learned from her late parents. She was unaware that cassava farming had improved varieties and that cassava seeds were a business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I started cassava seed farming, people laughed at me. They said I made a wrong move to opt for cassava against tobacco,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saada is now happy with her choice of having a cassava seed business. The business has brought her increased income and surplus food. It has also saved her from tedious hours of tobacco farming, which requires much more care to reach the standard for accepted products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About 1,200 CSE household members, including women, men, and their children, stand to benefit directly from this project, a potential to reach more than 3,500 rural farmers as customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Florentine Mkenda, the head of the agriculture section in the Urambo district, noted that the initiative to increase women\u2019s participation has significantly benefitted families and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWomen are very committed to their businesses; they manage to increase their income, and they contribute to increasing the availability of the improved seeds in the community,\u201d explained Mkenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collaboration and support from communities and spouses are key factors for women\u2019s sustainability as CSEs because men are the decision-makers in most households, although women implement most of the agreed-upon agricultural decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI support my wife because she respected me by informing me of her intention to participate in the project. I had no objection to her advancing her knowledge for our family development, which was provided for free,\u201d Saada\u2019s husband, Ruhinda Ruhinda, explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The couple\u2019s collaboration has expanded their cassava seed farm from two to five acres. In the upcoming planting season, they expect buyers of the improved varieties from their community and the surrounding areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The support Ruhinda gives to his wife conveys that breaking through the hard walls of cultural norms and tradition demands the presence of a male spouse in women’s issues. This ensures they do not feel attacked and excluded by initiatives that improve their wives\u2019 welfare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contributed by Gloriana Ndibalema<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tanzania is building sustainable cassava-seed systems for high-quality seed through cassava seed entrepreneurs.<\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":17972,"template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"tags":[],"science-area":[],"program":[],"location":[27],"news-type":[],"hub":[62],"crop":[66],"impact-areas":[],"item-year":[203],"class_list":["post-17971","news-item","type-news-item","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","location-tanzania","hub-eastern-africa","crop-cassava","item-year-203"],"yoast_head":"\nCassava seed business changes women farmers\u2019 lives in Tanzania - 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