Nane Nane (Swahili for eight eight) is
a public holiday that takes place on the 8th of August in
Tanzania. The holiday is known as Farmer's Day and it is supposed to
be a day to celebrate the contribution that farmers make to the Tanzanian economy. In the main cities of Tanzania there is an agricultural fair
where farmers, producers and agro-tech firms gather together to share
their products and their innovations. The fair starts the 1st
and finishes the 8th of August. I happened to be invited
to go to Arusha's Nane Nane Fair and I can tell you it is definitely the
place to be on the 8th of August!
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| Illustration 1: Agri-tech exposition |
The origins of the holiday are not free
of controversy. Apparently the original holiday was Saba Saba
(Swahili for seven seven) and was held, of course, on the 7th
of July. The holiday originally commemorated the creation of the
Tanganyika African National Union (a political party) by Julius
Nyerere On July 7, 1954. Since 1963 Saba Saba was also the date for
an International Trade Fair in Dar es Salaam where farmers show the
produce to international business to promote Tanzanian exports and to
celebrate their agricultural accomplishments for the previous year.
In 1992 when Tanzania held its first
multi-party elections, the opposition parties argued that Saba Saba
favored the ruling party and in 1993, Nane Nane was established as
the new Farmer's Day. In 1994 there was confusion as to which holiday
was to be celebrated, some people took Saba Saba off, some people
took Nane Nane and some people refused to work on either day. As a
result, in1995 was decided that a single celebration would be held in
Dar-es-Salaam for Saba Saba and the rest of the country would
celebrate Nane Nane. Despite this convention, this year we took both
days off, just in case!.
The main aim of Nane Nane is to bring
farmers together and act as a catalyst to disseminate science and
innovation in the agricultural field. In the fair you can find all
kinds of companies, small honey producers, renewable and sustainable
technology firms, agro-tech companies, new poultry and cattle
varieties and local organic farming initiatives.
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| Illustration 2: Schoolchildren being introduced to new livestock breeds |
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| Illustration 3: Pellet fueled cooking stoves as an alternative to charcoal stove |
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| Illustration 4: Introducing a new bee-box design... |
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| Illustration 5: ...and traditional log bee-boxes for sale |
Most of the people that come to Nane
Nane though, especially in the last day, come because it is a public
holiday and there is a big closing party in the evening. There is
also a huge market where you can find clothes, shoes, housewear and
anything you may want. There is also plenty of food and drinks, music
and places to sit and relax. We had a nice portion of
nyama choma
(roasted meat) that is traditional of Maasai and Chagga tribes in the
north of Tanzania.
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| Illustration 6: People pottering about |
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| Illustration 7: One of the many eating areas |
It was an interesting day; I am
personally interested in farming and had nice conversations with
different small co-ops. In the evening we strolled through the area
dedicated to the general market and the place was getting so full
that I decided to leave and wait outside the market for the rest to
come out. Definitely a nice place to spend a holiday for people
interested in agriculture or just in having a good time.
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