Who are you trying to help? What issue are you trying to address?

A major problem facing smallholder farmers is declining soil fertility as a result of continuous cropping without replenishing soil nutrients. For instance, nitrogen is a limiting factor in crop production for 35 to 45 % of farmers in the Central highlands area of the country. Current demand for land has led to increasing pressure on already marginal land. The need for low-cost and sustainable technical solutions to solve fertility problem of smallholder farmers is apparent.

Smallholder farmers have few technical options, which are compatible with both physical and chemical status of their soils and their poor socioeconomic conditions. Smallholder farmers’ access to external inputs, such as improved seed, fertilizers and pesticides have deteriorated, especially since the Kenya government removed subsidies on mineral fertilizers and other agricultural inputs. Information is also insufficient to make better decisions on crop choice and area allocation. Incentives and policies to facilitate area expansion are also lacking. The private sector is equally constrained in providing low costs market services because of low volumes, compounded by high transportation costs and high financial interest rates on operating capital.

What is your project and how will it help?

This project proposes a different approach to empower communities in making appropriate decisions regarding improvement of their nutrition and economic empowerment through selling surplus food and value-added products. The following contributions form the minimum package:

• Community mobilization
• Recruitment and training of smallholder farmers, for training in crop production for balanced diets
• Identification and selection of the locally high yield seedlings
• Establishment of village organic growers co-ops as a community-based self-help motivation
• Opening of a credit-facility services for the smallholder farmers
• Introduction of online marketing system, through barter trade or cash transaction
• In order to increase ownership there will be increased/improved level of communication from central to the periphery. Mobile field training activities and meetings with the farmers would be held regularly

The project will comprise four components:

1/ Introduction of improved and high yielding organic crops
2/ Introduction of innovative information technologies providing public information as regards barter/cash trade in support of rural community development
3/ Creation and operation of credit-facility to selected farmers, for starting growing surplus and nutrients crops
4/ creation of jobs, and improve self-sufficiency as well as well-being

How can other people partner with you on your project?

Region and district agriculture will involve in projects for training, monitoring and evaluation. The project will work also with agriculture college and universities in Tanzania in project implementation.

Other people can partner with our project by providing funds.

Please detail the resources that you need.

Rough budget:

1. Two printers, one photocopy machine & four computers US$ 4,000
2. Two motorcycles US$ 2,000
3. Stationery and internet connection US$ 1,000
4. Advertisement on radio, newspaper, brochures US$ 3,000
5. Office premises hiring charge one year US$ 4,000
6. Telephone charges, fax and landline connection US$ 2,000
7. Staff salaries & volunteer allowances US$ 6,000
8. Land for agriculture camp US$ 20,000
9. Tractor US$ 2,000
10. Seeds, fertilizer and other inputs US$ 3,000
11. Miscellaneous US$ 1,000

GRAND TOTAL US$ 30,000