Kilimanjaro Agricultural Training Centre (KATC)

About Kilimanjaro Agricultural Training Centre (KATC)

The Kilimanjaro Agricultural Training Centre (KATC), commonly referred to as Chuo Cha Kilimo Moshi . Kilimanjaro Agricultural Training Centre (KATC) is one of few institutes under the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security offering specialized short courses in agriculture, with special emphasis on irrigated rice farming improvement. The centre aims at enhancing the technical capabilities of field personnel and rice key farmers with respect to irrigated rice cultivation through practical training and field tours.

With ever increasing world population, the need to increase food production, especially in developing countries, can not be over emphasized. Rice is the staple food for most Asian and some African countries, including Tanzania where it is the second most important cereal after maize. However, a great potential for increased rice production in Tanzania is still untapped. Rice producers, majority of them are smallholder farmers need to be trained about modem rice production techniques and the need to use high yielding varieties in order to earn more income.

Great efforts have been made by the Tanzanian Government with assistance from the Government of Japan (through Japan International Cooperation Agency – JICA) to set up magnificent training facilities at KATC Moshi for rice farmers and field personnel. The Centre is well equipped and staffed with qualified and experienced trainers in the fields of irrigated rice cultivation, extension, water management and rice mechanization. The Ministries responsible for Agriculture in Tanzania and neighboring countries of Kenya, Zambia and Malawi recognize KATC Moshi as the centre for excellence in these fields and are eager to utilize if fully to ensure that the region becomes self sufficient in rice.

Location

KATC is situated in Chekereni village, 17 km. South East of Moshi town in Kilimanjaro region. It also maintains an office in the Kilimanjaro Industrial and Agricultural Development Building, adjacent to the Regional Administration Building in Moshi town for convenience of receiving visitors and communications to the outside world. KATC Chekereni compound is conveniently placed in the heart of Lower Moshi Irrigation Scheme which provides the most suitable training ground for all courses offered by the Centre.

Facilities

The facilities at KATC Chekereni compound include: Two hostels with 30 spacious rooms combined with dining and kitchen facilities. The total capacity is sixty participants at a time; Well equipped lecture rooms and laboratories; Information Unit comprising of a library and reading room with most up to date literature and data on irrigated rice cultivation and related topics; A well equipped audio-visual materials production unit; Secretarial and printing services which include binding of materials; A training machinery workshop; An animal power unit with trained water buffaloes, donkeys, oxen and ducks; A training farm for practical demonstrations; A well equipped meteorological station; A modem post harvest facility and a display room with a wide collection of real materials and data on irrigated rice cultivation and Variety of low cost grain storage units.