The One CGIAR Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets (FRESH) Initiative aims to use an end-to-end approach to increase fruit and vegetable intake and in turn improve diet quality, nutrition and health outcomes while also improving livelihoods, empowering women and youth and mitigating negative environmental impacts. FRESH is primarily working in Benin, Tanzania, Sri-Lanka, and the Philippines.

Farmers assessing tomat performance

The Initiative is working on the fruit and vegetables supply, demand, and food environment. On the supply side, FRESH aims to make available, accessible, and affordable improved vegetable seeds. To achieve this, improved vegetable varieties are being promoted along with development of seed systems. In partnership with the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI Tengeru), tomato, habanero, chili, and bell pepper WorldVeg developed varieties are currently being evaluated in registration trials in Tengeru (Arusha Region), Iringa (Iringa Region), and Moshi (Kilimanjaro Region). The vegetable varieties combine multiple disease resistance, improved fruit quality, and high productivity. Fifteen staff of 13 seed companies (international, national, and regional), members of the Africa Vegetable Breeding Consortium (AVBC) visited the field to assess the performance of the lines on 6 October 2023 as part of the annual workshop held from 4 to 6 October in Arusha. Seed companies provided positive feedback on the performance of the varieties. In addition to varieties released for local seed production, we expect the companies to take up some of the improved lines to include them in their breeding programs.

Farmers assessing the pepper lines

Staff of seed companies visiting the tomato trial

Although preliminary, the WorldVeg-developed lines are performing well and have higher levels of resistance to soil-borne diseases, as compared to the local checks at the Iringa trial location. This has potential to result in reduced pesticide applications and high yields for pepper farmers in Tanzania and the region.

The latest vegetable tomato varieties released in Tanzania was 12 years ago (2011). The release of the habanero, bell pepper and chili varieties will be the first ever publicly released pepper varieties in Tanzania. Once released by the end of 2024, the new varieties will also benefit farmers and other stakeholders in Eastern Africa.

Watch out for the upcoming field days to showcase the performance of the improved lines to farmers and other seed chain actors.

Story by Mathieu Ayenan, Omary Mbwambo, Herbaud Zohoungbogbo, Assaf Eybishitz, Derek Barchenger