Dar es Salaam, Jan. 21 -- IN Tanzania, tobacco farming supports hundreds of thousands of rural households and places the country among the worlds top ten producers.
Yet behind this economic contribution lies a costly and destructive practice: curing tobacco leaves with firewood. This method has accelerated deforestation, raised production costs, and exposed farmers to serious health risks from prolonged smoke inhalation.
A new technology known as the solar barn is emerging as a potential solution. By using solar energy instead of firewood, gas, or grid electricity, solar barns promise cleaner production, lower costs, healthier farmers, and reduced pressure on forests, while strengthening Tanzanias competitiveness in the global tobacco mar...