Blog Accelerating variety turnover for sorghum and groundnuts in Tanzania: The BESTO Enterprises story
Through the ACCELERATE Initiative, BESTO Enterprises is connecting over 700 farmers in Mpwapwa District, Tanzania, with improved seed varieties in 2025/26 to strengthen productivity, resilience, and incomes.
Transforming seed access in Tanzania’s drylands
In the semi-arid landscapes of Mpwapwa District in Dodoma, farming is often a gamble against unpredictable weather and challenging growing conditions. Yet amid these uncertainties, BESTO Enterprises & General Supplies Ltd is helping smallholder farmers gain access to improved seed varieties that can withstand local conditions and deliver better yield.
Founded by an energetic Ayubu Luhunga, has emerged as a key player in expanding access to open-pollinated varieties (OPVs), particularly newer varieties released within the last decade, and better suited to local conditions. Through its work, BESTO is directly contributing to the goals of the Accelerated Variety Turnover (ACCELERATE) Initiative by ensuring that improved seeds reach farmers faster, more affordably, and at scale.
Sorghum grown under Quality Declared Seed (QDS) production by BESTO Enterprises and Mwakiseyo Traders in Mpwapwa District. Photo credit: CIAT
Ayubu (4th from right), and Mwakiseyo (5th from right) with ACCELERATE research team during their visit to groundnut seed production site. Photo credit: CIAT
Driving innovation through ACCELERATE
BESTO operates within the ACCELERATE Initiative, led by Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, in collaboration with Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), and Tanzania Official Seed Certification Institute (TOSCI). The Initiative promotes innovative seed delivery models that connect grain traders and processors directly with seed producers and farmers.
A standout approach is the grain off-taker model, where traders like BESTO work closely with farmers and seed producers, particularly through TOSCI-supported Quality Declared Seed (QDS) production. Under this, seeds are produced and distributed with a built-in market pathway. Farmers produce grains using improved seeds and sell back through structured channels, creating a cycle in which access to quality seed, higher productivity, and reliable markets access reinforce one another.
A key factor behind BESTO’s success has been its partnership with Mwakiseyo Traders, another ACCELERATE project collaborator. Together, the two companies are multiplying QDS seed of improved sorghum variety TARI SOR 2 and the groundnut variety TARIKA 2 for distribution to more than 700 farmers in Mpwapwa District. To ensure seed quality and genetic purity, TARISOR 2 seed was sourced from Kibaigwa Flour Supplies (KFS), where eight acres were established for seed multiplication. TARIKA 2 seed was sourced from TARI Hombolo in Dodoma, with 10 acres planted during 2025/2026 season. The partnership is strengthening local seed availability, while accelerating farmers’ access to TARI’s newly released improved varieties of open pollinated crops.
