The School of Agriculture (SOA) was formaly known as Kizimbani Agricultural Training Institute (KATI) before it was merged with the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA) in July 2019. KATI was the sole semi-autonomous Agricultural Training Institute in Zanzibar operating under the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources and fully registered by the NACTE. The institute was legally formed in 2007 by the Act No. 5 of 2007. However, its history dates back to 1930s when its predecessor the Kizimbani Research and Training Station was established with the main obligation of providing short-term training to farmers and field officers in Zanzibar. Then, the station was expanded in terms of scope to offer agricultural technical training at the Certificate and Diploma levels in 1998 and 2012 respectively.
The Institute is mandated to provide advantageous learning environment that promotes vocational and entrepreneurship skills. The Institute adopts competence based education and training approach. The Institute is designed to offering a demand driven training on crops, livestock production and natural resources management. It also offers technical advisory and training services to farmers in the field of agriculture and natural resources through village outreach program, tailors made courses, consultancy and workshop.
In line with National Council for Technical Education – NACTE the institute is progressing in the use of curriculum that offers Diploma (NTA level 4-6) in General agriculture from 2013. Currently, the Institute is undergoing both administrative and academic transformation to match with new structure, roles and functions. Implementation of the plan has been developed to enable KATI to provide quality standards and operate effectively.
The School of Agriculture offers an innovative pedagogical model of learning that is integrating classroom and hands-on experience aimed at preparing students to master the agricultural allied science. Students are prepared to graduate at SOA by experiencing a curriculum that foster the needs of our smallholder farmers. The school also undertakes innovative interdisciplinary consultancy services in agricultural allied science to continually influence partnerships with other academic institutions within and overseas.
The school decided to take these efforts with understanding that Agriculture in Zanzibar is invariably devastated by a number of challenges, mainly associated with continuous application of inappropriate farming technologies, limited investment opportunities, slow pace towards diversification and narrow mechanization. Agricultural development is also defied by poor marketing infrastructures that perpetuated by irregular impacts of climate changes.
Purpose and Function of SOA
- To conduct training in the agricultural sector and related assignment at different levels, both from public and private sectors
- To design and conduct short and long term training courses in the public and private agricultural sector and other related fields.
- To organize seminars on matter of topical interest in agricultural sector in general
- To conduct professional courses on regular basis with a view to develop skill of agricultural sector
- To give advises to stake holders of agriculture
- In collaboration with ZARI to carry out researches and consultant services in the field of agricultural sector to the government and private sector in view to provide insights into policy formulation, commercialization and modern management perspective.
- To conduct any viable commercial activities for the purpose of generating income for the institute sustainability and for the creation of such reserve funds to meet future contingent liabilities as the council may think fit.
- To prescribe and provide the award of certificates and other awards conferred or awarded by the institute.