AGRA

The interim, Vice President, Seed Research & Systems Development at the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), Dr. George Bigirwa, has said there is need to support small holder farmers in the region to access markets so as to reduce poverty levels in the East African Community member states.

Dr. Bigirwa noted that research organizations continue releasing improved crop varieties and technologies, yet uptake by the majority of farmers remains low because of the markets constraint. The result is that they cannot adopt these new innovations and technologies as well as improved crop varieties for fear of wasting their efforts.

“Technologies that will increase production have been developed and even shared among farmers, but we know that those technologies can only benefit small holder farmers if there is ready market. That is the main hindrance to increased production and farmers’ incomes,” said Dr. Bigirwa.

AGRA has supported the development of improved technologies like seed in Uganda and the harmonization processes within East African Community member states for such technologies to be accessed by the farmers.

Dr. Bigirwa, who visited the Ministry of East African Community Affairs recently, said the member states should also play their role in helping their small holder farmers to access bigger markets.

He had led a team of AGRA officials to Uganda to assess the impact of the Regional East African Community Trade in Staples Project (REACTS) II Project, which AGRA funds. The three-year project which started last year May is implemented Kilimo Trust Uganda.

He explained that with ready markets, small holder farmers would sell more produce and expand their enterprises, thus solving household poverty.

“With assured markets, and improved technologies, we can easily improve their incomes and food security. It is along those lines that AGRA agreed to support the REACTS project because we know that one of the key bottlenecks is to do with markets,” he added.

In Uganda the project is supporting the maize and pulses value chains hoping to increase house old incomes by 20% for over 3 million small holder farmers and over 5% of other value chain actors, according to Dr. Birungi Korutaro, the Kilimo Trust country team leader.

“The support is in form of trainings on best farming practices, how to access storage and post-harvest handling technologies, financial literacy, use and access to quality agro inputs, links to off takers, links to the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to ensure the produce meets standards needed when trading across the region and help in organizing farmer market days for some beneficiaries, among others,” she added.

According to Korutaro, about 105,000 farming households are expected to be integrated in input and output markets by the end of three years and 120,000 metric tons of produce traded across the region.

Quality of agric produce

Dr. Bigirwa noted that low standards with dirty and broken produce persist. He insisted that quality and standards must be observed for smooth trading in the region.

“Apart from contamination with aflatoxin, there are still quality issues like dirty grain because some farmers still don’t have proper drying facilities, discolored grain, broken grains which affect the quality of the final product,” he added.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of East African Community Affairs (MEACA), Edith Mwanja, commended the REACTS project saying it has helped some farmers improve. She said the government of Uganda has contributed $6.4million over a five year period and called for donor support to raise an addition of $1.2 million.

“We believe that in the next five years, there will be increased use of structured markets and more trade volumes in beans and maize that meet regional market standards. And I believe this will have improved the livelihoods of Ugandans in more than 25 districts,” Mwanja said.

A recent article in the appearing in one of Kenya’s dailies titled ‘Acidic soils deal blow to food security efforts’ painted a true picture of the soil health condition in some parts of the country.

However, it is important to note that soil health is just one of the aspects that determine crop yields. If a farmer plants low quality seed in healthy soils, then the yields will still disappoint.

Adoption of good agronomic practices and timing of the planting period based on the prevailing climatic conditions also determines the yields – particularly for farmers who rely on rainfall. Overall having assurance at the marketing end serves as a great incentive for farmers to uptake appropriate seeds, appropriate fertilizers, good agronomic practices and other technologies.

It therefore calls for an integrated approach of the above elements augmented with reliable weather and climate information services, and extension service provision to advise farmers on particular agronomical practices based on agroecological zones.

It is also important to note that as much as Kenyan soils are already ‘sick,’ there is a lot happening on the ground with various organizations working out solutions to the existing problems as Kenya walk towards a green revolution and self reliance.

In 2014 for example, with support from the World Bank and the European Union, the National Accelerated Agricultural Inputs Access Programme (NAAIAP) in collaboration with Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research Organization (KALRO) and the Department of Kenya Soil Survey undertook a study to evaluate soil suitability for maize production in Kenya, where over 4000 soil samples were analyzed. One of the aims of this survey was to identify key soil fertility constraints so as to improve crop yield within the project areas, and to provide recommendations of most appropriate fertilizer formulation/blend for the cropping systems and soil fertility combinations.

As a result, there was no one all inclusive recommendation for Kenyan farmers. Different counties and sub-counties had different types of soils that required different forms of interventions to meet the crop nutrients demand for improved productivity.

Following these results, the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) commissioned another study in 2018, which identified some key issues constraining the effectiveness of the Kenyan fertilizer system.

One of them was lack of awareness among smallholder famers about the availability of fertilizer blends in the market.

But even worse, the study reported inadequate knowledge and capacity among the fertilizer companies to manufacture appropriate balanced fertilizer blends and other soil amelioration inputs such as lime.

In addition, some of the lime producing companies continues to produce the powder form of lime while others have granulated lime all of which are of different quality and reactivity hence different application rates are recommended to farmers.

The study further found that some of the companies do not even have capacity to granulate the lime. There is also need to explore possibilities of blending the multi-nutrient fertilizers with the granulated lime to reduce labour costs for farmers.

Until recently, the country had relied predominantly on commodity fertilizers DAP, NPK, urea and CAN. These products take over 70 percent of the market share. They normally over-supply nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and limited amounts of potassium (K) – mostly for specialty crops, leaving the other crop micro-nutrients requirements unaddressed.

It is in this regard that AGRA has embarked on a capacity building initiative, using demo plots in 14 counties across the country, where the same crop is grown on different plots of land in the same place, but using different types of fertilizers and fertilizer blends for farmers and county officials to see the difference.

The organization is also trying to fine-tune and validate the emerging soil- and crop-specific fertilizer blends in support of enhanced and resilient maize, beans and potato production.

This is because most of fertilizer products in the Kenyan markets are produced without reference to soil nutrient status and crop needs. Consequently, they often oversupply some nutrients and under supply others. Such fertilizers fail to support the crop for higher yields while also leading to direct monetary losses in cases where inappropriate fertilizers are purchased and applied to the crops.

It is therefore through use of the right fertilizers/blends and lime on the right soils, with the right crop that Kenya will stagger from the abyss of food insecurity and sustainably feed her people.
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The author is AGRA’s country manager for Kenya. JMacharia@agra.org

Many countries in sub-Saharan Africa have pockets of food insecurity. These can appear and develop for many reasons. And in some cases, simple nature-based solutions can make a significant difference to people’s lives.

Vihiga County, western Kenya—one of the most densely populated of the country’s 47 counties with an average household farm size of 0.4 hectares is characterized by a high rate of population growth and dwindling farm sizes, and a land that is increasingly becoming uneconomical for farming. Pressure on land has led to a decline in food production and an increase in poverty. As a result, people are now moving into Kakamega rainforest in search of land for farming and settlement, causing severe destruction to the forest ecosystem.

To tackle these problems, the county government of Vihiga, in February 2017, decided to prioritize the commercialization of African indigenous vegetables to boost farmers’ incomes. Some 2,500 farmers have been recruited, in an exercise started in June 2018 to increase production of these vegetables.

Initial challenges included lack of quality seeds and training in best agronomic practices for sustainable, quality production.

However, things have been looking up since early 2018 when the initiative attracted technical and financial support from a Global Environment Facility-funded project, Scaling up Sustainable Land Management and Agro-Biodiversity Conservation to Reduce Environmental Degradation in Small Scale Agriculture in Western Kenya. The project—implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and executed by the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa and Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization—runs until July 2022 and aims to set small-scale agriculture on the path to much greater sustainability, in line with Sustainable Development Goal 15: Life on Land.The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change describes sustainable land management as: “the stewardship and use of land resources, including soils, water, animals and plants, to meet changing human needs, while simultaneously ensuring the long-term productive potential of these resources and the maintenance of their environmental functions”.

Boosting incomes

Under the project, farmers have received training in best agronomic practices in eight sub-counties in Western Kenya, and a community-based seed production system has been established. There are currently 24 producer groups comprising 500 farmers, a majority of which are women, in Hamisi sub-county of Vihiga County. The project has contributed to yield increases from the initial 0.15 tonnes per hectare recorded in the first season of 2018, to 2.1 tonnes per hectare in June 2019, greatly improving farmers’ incomes.

Every and Everlyne Imasia attended training sessions on good crop husbandry, financial literacy, record keeping, land use planning, catchment rehabilitation and agroforestry systems, and now engage in sustainable land management practices such as mulching, crop rotation, composting, soil testing, planting agroforestry trees on boundaries and the use of terraces.

The area they planted with indigenous vegetables increased from 0.05 hectares to 0.10 hectares, and yields increased from 15 kg to 60 kg per season. Their income from African indigenous vegetables (including Ethiopian kale, African black night shade and cowpeas) increased from US$75 to US$500 in three seasons.

“I was never recognized by the community and the county executives but now I’m known in the whole of Muhudu ward as Baba Mboga [father of indigenous vegetables]… We have been able to pay utility bills and send our children to good schools,” says Every Imasia.

Under the project, some 450 farmers have visited his farm to learn about sustainable landscape management. Some 5,000 indigenous vegetable farmers have been selected in Vihiga County for training in these techniques to create jobs and boost food security. This is part of an anticipated 100,000 planned beneficiaries in Nandi, Kakamega and Vihiga counties over the project’s lifespan.

Priscillah Mbonne’s experience

Elsewhere in Vihiga County, communities have in some places planted fodder trees such as calliandra, and napier grass for their cows, greatly improving the lives of 30,000 people (out of over 750,000 in the county).

Priscillah Mbonne and her seven-member family have been burdened by cultural norms that deter wives from planting trees and making decisions on crops. Prior to 2017, the family practiced continuous cultivation and mono-cropping, thus increasingly leading to food insecurity. As a coping strategy, Mbonne ventured into dairy farming, but her two cows grazed in the forest due to lack of fodder.

She now does minimal grazing in the forest since she has enough fodder to feed her animals. Milk production has also increased from 5.0 to 7.5 litres per day. The availability of farm manure and fodder for manure has helped boost farm productivity.

Mbonne smiles: “I have enough food at home and I am able to send my two children to school without any support from my husband.”

In the last short rainy season from September to December 2018, Mbonne harvested six bags (549 kg) of maize on her 0.2 hectare plot, improving her household’s food security.

“Over 800 million people in the world are undernourished—a figure that is growing, not reducing,” says the UN Environment Programme’s ecosystems expert Jane Nimpamya. “Projects like this one in western Kenya can be replicated in many other parts of Africa and the world where population pressure is driving land degradation. Projects like this can make a tangible difference to people’s lives.”

Applying Landscape and Sustainable Land Management for Mitigating Land Degradation and Contributing to Poverty Reduction in Rural Areas is just one of more than 80 projects UNEP has implemented with the backing of the Global Environment Facility in support of the UN Convention to Combat Degradation and Desertification and other efforts to bring a halt to the threat of land degradation globally.

The UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021–2030, led by the UN Environment Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and partners such as Afr100, the Global Landscapes Forum and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, covers terrestrial as well as coastal and marine ecosystems. A global call to action, it will draw together political support, scientific research and financial muscle to massively scale up restoration. Help us shape the Decade.

At the session on “Enabling Rural Finance: Multisectoral Collaboration” during last week’s SAM conference, Hedwig Siewertsen of the Africa-based Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) discussed her work helping the government of Kenya experiment with mechanisms to extend the reach of its limited funding for agriculture. In 2016, the government had USD 7 million to invest in agriculture and was considering acting as a lender to disburse that money to the agricultural sector. Recognizing that the government may be better at market facilitation than managing money, AGRA worked with officials to bring in Barclays Bank of Kenya and the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) as partners. As a result, the government was able to leverage its USD 7 million to guarantee USD 23 million in lending from Barclays. This enabled 150,000 farmers as well as 300 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – including producer organizations – to access funding and non-financial assistance, such as help with business planning.

At the same session, Ousmane Thiongane of the Senegalese microfinance institution network U-IMCEC, described his organization’s struggles entering the agriculture sector. Despite agriculture being a risky proposition, the organization’s mission demanded that it serve rural areas. At first, he explained, “our rural agents weren’t well trained” in agriculture and thus the entry into rural areas “was a complete failure.” With agents lacking basic information, such as the differing cycles of potato and onion crops, portfolio quality suffered. In response, U-IMCEC began to train loan officers as “local portfolio managers” rather than credit agents. Armed with much improved agricultural knowledge, U-IMCEC was able to give farmers the financial support they need in a way that allowed for institutional stability. This included maintaining a “high-touch” model of staff-client interaction even as the organization brought in more technology. Mr Thiongane says, “We have no choice…microfinance cannot be separated from digitalization today.” While some clients remain uninterested in e-money, financial technology (fintech) is allowing U-IMCEC to reduce its operational costs.

Representing Belgium’s Alterfin, as well as the 12-member Council on Smallholder Agricultural Finance (CSAF), Jean-Marc Debricon discussed the differences between investing in agriculture and mainstream microfinance. For example, loans to producer organizations generally have shorter terms than loans to microfinance institutions. For the members of CSAF, microfinance investments tend to be stronger, allowing them to meet their missions of investing in rural areas where they generally accept more risk or lower returns. Mr Debricon also described CSAF’s work on Aceli Africa, which will launch in 2020 with a pilot program in East Africa. The effort is a public-private partnership mobilizing funds for agricultural SMEs through instruments such as a guarantee fund to protect investors against potential loss.

Safiatou Malet-Coulibaly of Luxembourg-based SOS Faim discussed her NGO’s work with “agri-plus” in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. She argued that producers’ organizations are critical partners for managing risk – both market risks and those related to climate change. Ms Malet-Coulibaly’s organization has supported 48 such organizations with loans, guarantees to help them access bank financing, and technical assistance relating to both finance and agriculture.

This article is part of a sponsored series on SAM (the French acronym for African Microfinance Week), a major conference dedicated to financial inclusion in Africa. The most recent SAM took place in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from October 21-25, 2019.

An innovative insurance package for small-holder farmers has been unveiled by Fertiliser Producers and Suppliers Association of Nigeria (FEPSAN) in collaboration with a pan-African agricultural insurance advisory firm, Pula, which will anchor the initiative, targeting about four million farmers in the country.

Stakeholders from across the fertiliser value chain at a one-day workshop on ‘Bundling Insurance with Fertiliser: A Way to Increase Fertiliser Sales to Small-holder Farmers’ in Abuja yesterday, opined that Area Yield Index Insurance (AYII) was the way to go in order to mitigate various risks being faced by smallholder farmers. According to the FEPSAN chairman, Thomas Etuh, he said the Area Yield Index Insurance can be a lever for helping farmers cope with weather and other peculiar risks while scaling adoption of fertilisers among small-scale farmers.

“We believe that through adding insurance, we will kill two birds with one stone – improve our farmers’ resilience and grow adoption of fertilizer in Nigeria,” Etuh added.

For her part, the chief executive officer of Pula Insurance, Rose Goslinga, said the insurance policy will be subscribed to automatically by farmers through the purchase of fertiliser products for their farms.

She highlighted that while Area Yield Index Insurance will first and foremost benefit farmers, it will also be beneficial to the participating fertiliser companies as the initiative will create an opportunity for them to build strong brands among farmers and gain new customers.

“Embedding agriculture insurance to Fertilizer will enable these companies to understand farmers better while providing them with real protection. In the 10 countries that Pula works, we have seen that companies adding insurance can grow their customers base by 30% in one year,” Goslinga said.

LEADERSHIP reports that the potential partnership, which would bundle insurance with up to 14 million bags of fertiliser, could see as many as 3.9 million farmers benefiting from climate insurance in 2020 and up to 19 million by 2025.

Farmers across Nigeria currently face a range of risks such as climate induced drought, excessive rainfall, pests and diseases, among other challenges that undermine their hope of bountiful harvest and income from their toils. According to a communique issued at the end of the workshop, stakeholders including Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) said Pula’s proposed Area Yield Index Insurance solution, which would compensate farmers in the event of climate or other catastrophes, is an important intervention that will help farmers manage risks and build sustainable farming enterprises that can withstand shocks.

“This insurance also provides financial security that gives farmers confidence to invest in additional inputs like fertilizer, knowing that their investment will be protected by insurance in the event of crop failure,” the communique added.

South Sudan’s farmers are returning to their farms and seeking better livelihoods. A green-powered community radio initiative is broadcasting weather and climate information that guides farmers on when to plant seeds, and so yield the healthiest crops in a changing climate. Isaiah Esipisu reports.

On a Tuesday morning on August 10, 2019 at 7.00 o’clock, Moses Okwera, a presenter at a community radio station – 93.0 FM Voice of Freedom in Magwi County – reads the news brief and then plays a signature tune to introduce a daily morning show known as ‘Wake up Magwi.’ The guest in the studio is an agricultural expert.

This catches the attention of William Otoo, a 30 year old farmer in Cherekon village, about 20 kilometres out of Magwi town in the southern part of South Sudan. Otoo immediately increases the volume of his cell battery powered FM radio handset. His main interest is to know when it is likely going to rain so that he can start planting for the season.

“Today we are privileged to have Oryem Cosmas P’Lonam, the Chief Executive Office for the Magwi Seed Company in the studio — also known as MASCO,” announces the broadcaster, as Otoo sinks into his old sofa-set ready to learn more from the CEO of a seed company that is now supplying Magwi County with improved, certified seeds for the first time in history.

Since seasonal rainfall in the region has been delayed for almost two weeks, climate and weather information becomes an immediate subject for discussion. The good news is that P’Lonam begins by informing the listeners that it is likely going to rain any time now, but with a warning that it is likely going to flood.

“This community radio has been the main source of information for me and other farmers in this area,” said Otoo.

South Sudan, which got its independence from Sudan in 2011 is yet to put in place proper communication infrastructure following ethnic violence that has continuously rocked the country since 2013.

Without grid electricity all over the country including the capital Juba, it has been difficult for telecommunication companies to invest in transmission stations, hence, accessing mobile telephone network remains a pipedream for millions in rural areas.

Internet connectivity is never there in many villages, and is not guaranteed even in major towns like Magwi, including some parts of the capital city.

The roads are extremely dilapidated, making it nearly impossible for agricultural experts including extension service providers to reach out to farmers in far villages.

“It is just about 50 kilometres from Magwi to Torit town, but it is never a surprise for one to start the journey today morning, and spend the night on the way so as to arrive in Torit the next day, depending on the strength of the vehicle, and the mechanical condition,” remarked a businessman in Magwi, who was waiting for motorbike spare parts to be transported to Torit town.

In that regard, the 93.0 community FM radio, whose transmission infrastructure is powered by solar energy with the signal reaching all the villages of Magwi remains the only source of vital information to the residents.

“Before I go for the radio show, I always do a lot of research especially about prevailing weather and climate information because it is the most important thing for farmers who have bought seeds from us, and those seed growers whom we have contracted to multiply seed for our company,” said P’Lonam.

Due to civil conflicts, many farmers had run away to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. But most of them are now returning home to reclaim their farms, which have since turned into thick forests.

“The radio station has become part of our extension service providers because when we are discussing a particular subject, people who are lucky to have access to telephone network always call in to ask questions and also to seek clarifications,” said P’Lonam.

Otoo admits that it is through listening to such programmes that he has flourished in his farming venture in the past two years. At the age of 30 years, he is the first farmer in the entire country to multiply hybrid maize seed, with support from a seed company known as Green Horizon, and the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).

“Rainfall seasons are not the same as it were when I was growing up,” he said. “When I was about 10 years old, my mother could always prepare for planting any time from March 25. But nowadays, the seasonal rainfall can delay for another two to three weeks, or come much earlier than expected,” said the farmer who dropped out of school before finishing the secondary level education due to civil conflicts.

Situated on a 100 by 100 metre plot of land and with a 60-metre mast donated by the county office, Voice of Freedom, which broadcasts in five different languages, covers everything ranging from local and international news to original programming on conflict resolution, the rights of children, women, persons with disabilities, weather forecasts, and agriculture among others.

The station has largely been dependent on resources donated by the community – such as volunteer time and story leads. It previously run on expensive diesel power generators until August, 2015. That’s when Internews intervened by installing 22 solar panels and setting up new electrical system to support it.

Many other communities throughout the country as well rely on such community-based radio stations to get vital information concerning their lives and livelihoods.

It is no fallacy that 50-year-old Anastasia Njeri has a big family of ten children to care for. Making ends meet had been a constant haunting reality. While she enjoys a house full of joy and children, she was always aware that the family’s income might never meet all their needs. Moreover, she has always had a dream of her children reaching their full potential through education. 

As the years went by, her dreams started fading away. No sooner had her dreams become forgotten than she came across a Village-based Advisor (VBA) in Kamuyu village that trained farmers about new, improved varieties and Good Agronomic Practices (GAP). 

“We were trained on how to use improved maize varieties. Before the training, I used to sow four seeds together with manure, and fertilizer, all in one hole at the planting stage. The result was not pleasing. It was a struggle to feed my family,” adds Anastasia.

“My VBA gave me a small 25 g pack sample of seeds of a new variety to try on my farm. When these seeds brought a bountiful harvest, I then bought 5 Kilograms of seeds of this variety to plant in the next season. These seeds have now given me over ten (90 kg) sacks of maize. This success was after I attended training conducted by my Village-based Advisor. The training was very valuable to me. I realized the importance of listening to experts and learning new ways of farming,” she says.

With her steady income, Anastasia’s dream, compelled by the desire to provide proper shelter for her family, her aspiration is not out of reach. Of all her wishes, she has dreamed of constructing a stone house for her family and moving from their small iron sheet house. From last seasons’ harvest, she was able to harvest enough food for her family and sell the excess. The income she got from the surplus enabled her to buy building materials. She is now building a new house for her family. “This is aside from providing the needs of my children who are also going to school,” she says.  

“My children can now choose what they want to be. With good income and the desire to study that they have, they can go on and become doctors, teachers, lawyers, or even farmers, you name it,” she says after enjoying the few months of improved agriculture. 

Anastasia is one of the farmers trained by Damaris, a VBA. With her enthusiasm and determination, Damaris has been able to bring together and teach over 250 farmers. The positive impact of the program is visible on Damaris’ happy and satisfied face because her community will not be hungry anymore, thanks to the training. 

A humble iron sheet house stands next to Anastasia, for now, but in the coming days there will be a stone house; this presents part of a new narrative of positive change that is taking place in this village and a symbol of the indomitable spirit of people who chose to stand tall against adversity.

AGRA believes that agricultural technologies and practices can only have a positive effect if they are communicated and implemented by farmers and end-users. Extension is the mechanism by which this process is achieved. Within our five-year strategy, one of the biggest challenges is how to further the reach and impact of government extension agents and create demand for improved seeds, fertilizers, and other yield-enhancing inputs. The ratio of extension staff to farmers in most of our target countries is 1:5,000. We aim to improve this ratio to 1:500.

Recognizing the growing role of the private sector in the lives and livelihoods of Africa’s farmers, our extension approach involves identifying and training self-employed village-based advisors (VBAs). VBAs are ‘lead farmers’ who are selected to share technologies and knowledge locally with fellow farmers. With connections to input companies, they help to promote quality seeds and fertilizers, together with good agricultural practices. This model has been particularly successful in Kiambu County, Kenya.

AGRA works through the Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation In Africa (PIATA). This is a unique strategic partnership launched in 2017 that enables African agriculture actors to do business differently as they support leaders to drive an inclusive agricultural transformation. PIATA members include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ.

By Nancy Okwengu

20 years ago, Ms. Rita Sekilovele, famously known as Mama Seki in the wider Southern Highlands of Tanzania, used to sell traditional brew which brought with it social stigma and regular run-ins with the local authorities. One day, she decided enough was enough and switched to “milling”  maize flour.

Her first consignment was only two “debes”- 2 tins 10 kgs each. Today, her milling firm – Super Seki Investment, is the largest producer of fortified maize flour operating in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania, with an assured market across Tanzania and in the neighbouring countries.

With support from the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) – as part of a wider ecosystem of affiliated rural organisations, agencies and businesses who work together to deliver the critical components of agriculture transformation – she has increased her mill’s capacity to buy maize from smallholder farmers spread across Iringa in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania.

“We are buying maize from farmers groups representing over 2000 smallholder farmers in the region,” she notes. She supports the farmers’ groups with an assured provision of inputs. Her very limited education – she dropped out of school in class 2 – has not inhibited her quest for agribusiness to lift up the lives of smallholder farmers. “I only know how to write my name, to sign papers but I am great at counting money and handling financial issues!” she says.

Mama Seki is playing an important role in transforming agriculture from a solitary struggle to survive to a thriving business  for the  2000 smallholder farmers she serves.Through her effort, she embodies the transformative power of agriculture in Africa.  

According to Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President AGRA,  agripreneurs like Mama Seki, are the way to Africa’s prosperity; powered by agriculture. Their small and medium-size enterprises handle 80% of the food consumed on the continent and provide a market for millions of smallholder farmers transforming their lives.

CONSORTIUM APPROACH: BUILDING LINKAGES ACROSS THE WHOLE AGRICULTURE VALUE CHAIN WITH SMALLHOLDER FARMERS FRONT AND  CENTER

While the success story of the Iringa Region green revolution can be attributed to the resolve by the Government of Tanzania, multiple stakeholders, like AGRA have supported the Government to make it possible.

In 2007 AGRA programs started providing farmers with innovative financing and high-yield crop varieties, and forged partnerships with private seed companies and small agrodealers in Southern Highlands, which includes Iringa.

Available records indicate that by 2009, about 700,000 smallholder farmers in the Southern Highlands managed to produce a record maize harvest, which was able to feed many other regions in the country that were drought-stricken. Since then, for Iringa Region, according to the regional authorities, there has never been going back.

According to Prof. Nuhu Hatibu, AGRA Regional Head (Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda), originally AGRA had five main programs to catalysts the green revolution in Tanzania -seeds, soils, market, policy, and financing. And in all operations, it was working in partnership with the Government and other stakeholders.

To consolidate the gains made over the years and after a lot of research, discussions, and collaborations,  AGRA  introduced the consortia model in 2017.

The model enhances collaboration with the local governments, farmers, and businesses to deliver integrated programming at farmer-level. The government, development agencies, and businesses come together within a defined geographical area to collaborate to achieve agriculture transformation with smallholder farmers front and center.

The consortium for Iringa Region is known as Ihemi-ludewa Consortium. Thanks to investments by AGRA and the PIATA  partners the consortium has reached over  150,000 smallholder farmers. These farmers, in turn, reach out to their peers spreading practices that have made the region an agricultural powerhouse.

According to the AGRA President, the consortium model brings “together organizations that have the experience, skills, and knowledge to address the problems currently faced by farmers.”  It weeds out duplication, is more effective in reaching out to the wider community of smallholder farmers and putting the local governments at the forefront of the green revolution to create the desired business environment.

She describes the model as best suited to provide novel and holistic solutions to the constraints faced by smallholder farmers and providing the necessary linkages across the crops value chain needed for long term solutions and sustainability. More importantly for Tanzania, the consortium model works to make the public-private sector-driven Agriculture Sector Development Programme (ASDP phase 2) a success. The aim is to “transform the agricultural sector towards higher productivity, enhanced commercialization and smallholder farmer income for improved livelihood.”

AGRA works through the Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation In Africa (PIATA).  This is a unique strategic partnership launched in 2017 that enables African agriculture actors to do business differently as they support leaders to drive an inclusive agricultural transformation. PIATA members include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the United States Agency forInternational Development (USAID) the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ. In Tanzania, farmers have translated it to mean “PiATA Tija”, or solution-based agriculture.

TRANSFORMED LIVES

AGRA 3-year support to Ihemi-ludewa Consortium (2017 to 2019) has been linking farmers to input and out markets leading to increased maize, beans, and soybean production.  In essence, supporting farmers to increase incomes and improve livelihoods through innovations that are scaled up.

In the video below, Mr.  Victory Mhanga one of the smallholder farmers who has benefited from the program explains how his farm productivity has doubled and about the assured market.

AGRA 3-year support to Ihemi-ludewa Consortium (2017 to 2019) has been linking farmers to input and out markets leading to increased maize, beans, and soybean production.  In essence, supporting farmers to increase incomes and improve livelihoods through innovations that are scaled up.

In the video below, Mr.  Victory Mhanga one of the smallholder farmers who has benefited from the program explains how his farm productivity has doubled and about the assured market.

It is not only crop yields that have increased. Lives are getting transformed too. With the assured market for his harvest, Mr. Mhanga, as well as over 2000 farmers from various villages, have an agreement to sell part of their harvest to Mama Seki.  With the increased harvest, he is able to have adequate food for his household and excess for sale, to better the lives of his family. He is happy to move away from subsistence agriculture to farming as a profitable venture.  

True to  its name, originally  “Lilinga,” which means fort in the local Hehe language, Iringa has transformed itself as a fort of food security. 

As a result of the increase in production seen in Iringa and other regions, Tanzania is becoming food self-sufficient while selling the excess to other nations within the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) blocs.

GOVERNMENTS ARE CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF CONSORTIA

The success in Tanzania hasn’t been by accident. Every engagement has been deliberate. Mr. Wilfred Myuyu, Acting Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS) for Iringa,  President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), noted that since the consortia in Iringa was formulated, the regional government has been involved. It helped in identifying the needs of the districts and ensuring the project was implemented smoothly.

The local government has been promoting national agriculture policy in the region that calls for high productivity, use of modern farming methods and improved markets. The government is also the primary provider of agricultural extension services in the area and permitted its staff to get involved in the project which is critical in the implementation of Agricultural Sector Development Programme 2 (ASDP – 2)

He commended PIATA TIJA for promoting agriculture resilience, sustainability, and economic inclusivity and noted that the market-led model with the support of the government promoted by AGRA Ihemi Ludewa consortium should be replicated in other regions in Tanzania.

Mr. Muyuyu commended PIATA TIJA for promoting agriculture resilience, sustainability, and economic inclusivity and noted that the market-ledmodel with the support of the government promoted by AGRA Ihemi/Ludewa consortium should be replicated in other regions in Tanzania.

The AGRA President told the regional authorities that agriculture there is no single partner that can move agriculture forward alone. To reduce fragmentation and ensure alignment to government priorities,  she emphasized the critical role played by the central and local governments.

In the video below Dr.  Kalibata calls on the governments to hold actors including AGRA accountable to ensure delivery against set target.

PRIVATE SECTOR PLAY

The private sector also plays a key role in ensuring the smooth implementation of the whole agriculture value chain in attaining the green revolution. Through PiATA TIJA platform, private sector companies that provide inputs like fertilizers and seeds have increased their sales tremendously. Seedco Company noted that it has increased its sales by 70 percent. Through the introduction of the consortium model, there was increased access to services and inputs which are catalysts of increased yields. To maintain the momentum, as envisioned in ASDPII, a continually improving business environment is desirable.

GOING TO SCALE: AGRICULTURE POWERING INDUSTRIALIZATION AND REGIONAL TRADE

While commendable, the progress in Iringa will mean nothing if it remains an isolated island of success. Tanzania should consolidate these gains to position itself as the regional food powerhouse and make great strides in agri-industrial development.  For this to happen, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Hussein Bashe said it was important for all resources invested in the sector to create the desired impacts. Unfortunately, he said, this was not always the case.

So, it is paramount for the central government to have full knowledge of all invested  resources for accountability and monitoring purposes. This would ensure there are visible impacts in creating wealth for smallholder farmers.

He rallied agriculture stakeholders including AGRA to ensure investments made in the sector have the desired impacts for the smallholder farmers in every sense of the word.

He offered government’s commitment to reduce  challenges to agricultural transformation by working with development partners and neighbouring countries. He also called for harmonization of standards and better coordination within the region.

Industry and Trade Minister, Mr. Innocent Bashungwa said that improved agriculture productivity, value addition and processing,  and trade will be the surest path to Tanzania’s prosperity. He committed to work with the ministry  the Ministry of Agriculture and partners like AGRA for ago industrialization.

Dr. Kalibata AGRA has committed to work with the Tanzanian Government to develop a 6-year flagship on Agro-Industrialization for Markets, Jobs, Growth and Food Security. Its main focus will be commercialization and value addition as outlined in component 3 of Agricultural Sector Development Programme 2 (ASDP – 2), while stimulating outcomes of the other components of the programme. This will ensure that the transformation witnessed in Iringa is scaled up across the country and that investments are aligned to national priorities.

They could face a lot of challenges, but the people of Kiambu County look more determined to rise above them through farming. After all, they have over 250 Village-based Advisors (VBAs) who are geared with the right spirit and determination to teach them the latest information to make farming the source of improving their lives. 

Unfazed by the painful experiences of food insecurity and poverty that they have undergone in the past, they remain steadfast in pursuing farming, which remains their core and inspiration to keep going.  

Not even poor rains or an escalating economic crisis can bring down their determination. Such is the story of many as narrated by Jane Njoka, a technical advisor with a local NGO who is advising the County Government of Kiambu and Damaris Kinyanjui, a Village-based Advisor in Thiririka village. 

As Jane aptly puts it, “Nothing is hard when you love what you do,” Theirs are stories worth telling over and over again. 

Jane and Damaris work together to train farmers and closely to monitor their progress. 

Damaris is one of 250 VBAs identified and trained by Jane in partnership with sub-County Agricultural Officers who have also passed knowledge and information on Good Agriculture Practices (GAP). So far, these VBAs have trained 29,300 farmers who have started to adopt the use of the improved maize varieties and farming techniques to ensure food security, poverty alleviation and improve nutrition for the smallholder farmers and their families.

“Our farmers suffered for years because they were using seed of inappropriate late-maturing maize varieties. They were also using other poor agronomic practices, such as planting three or four seeds per hole. They were also using fertilizers and the wrong way. As if it’s not enough, fall armyworm became a new menace that led to losses upon losses. In short, farming was not attractive,” says Jane.

With the support and collaboration from the Country Government of Kiambu, seed and fertilizer companies, and a small catalytic grant and technical advice from AGRA, VBAs have been able to offer improved extension services about improved early-maturing maize varieties and GAP to improve the food security and incomes of smallholder farmers at the Village level. 

Embu County Government is now replicating the approach. The VBAs, who are also self-employed, earn commissions on the sale of seed and fertilizer as a reward for bringing together and training farmers. 

“From their gardens, each family has sufficient food to eat, and there is still a lot extra for selling in the market. With the income, families can pay for children’s school fees and still spare for other needs such as supplementing their diets and health care,” says Damaris.

The enthusiasm of farming in this County has spilled over in many families around the area. Families that once had nothing are now confident and sure of a better life. “People anchor on each other. Trust is built when you work with the communities; we are together lifting each other. Fond dreams are being realized,” adds Jane. 

A look at Damaris reveals sadness crosses her face when she thinks of the rest of Kenya that suffer from food insecurity and that has not accessed the right knowledge and information about overcoming hunger and poverty. But she is quick to smile it away, wanting to put up a brave front, she says, “We have seen that it can be done. Because of this project, we can eat. It is hard work, but that is what work is supposed to be. We are showing an example that the entire country can adopt to ensure there will be available food in plenty for everyone.”

AGRA believes that agricultural technologies and practices can only have a positive effect if they are communicated and implemented by farmers and end-users. Extension is the mechanism by which this process is achieved. Within our five-year strategy, one of the biggest challenges is how to further the reach and impact of government extension agents and create demand for improved seeds, fertilizers, and other yield-enhancing inputs. The ratio of extension staff to farmers in most of our target countries is 1:5,000. We aim to improve this ratio to 1:500.

Recognizing the growing role of the private sector in the lives and livelihoods of Africa’s farmers, our extension approach involves identifying and training self-employed village-based advisors (VBAs). VBAs are ‘lead farmers’ who are selected to share technologies and knowledge locally with fellow farmers. With connections to input companies, they help to promote quality seeds and fertilizers, together with good agricultural practices. This model has been particularly successful in Kiambu County, Kenya.

AGRA works through the Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation In Africa (PIATA). This is a unique strategic partnership launched in 2017 that enables African agriculture actors to do business differently as they support leaders to drive an inclusive agricultural transformation. PIATA members include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ.

By Nancy Okwengu

Just kilometers from Kenya’s capital city of Nairobi is a garden that was once unproductive and is now a greening proof that if people are given the right information and skills and are willing to work on it, nothing is impossible. Veronica Nyakio is the daughter of Michael Waweru, an avid farmer who is now aged and retiring from active farming but happily handing over the newfound secret to his 30-year-old daughter. 

Veronica is a proud youth, as she presents the fruits of adapting to new and improved farming practices with the support of the Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). “From this garden, our family now has sufficient food and has earned enough income to cover other needs that the family identified, ” she says.

Veronica is one of 29,300 farmers that have so far been trained by Village based Advisors (VBAs) in Kiambu County. Her story is a result of training and support has become a catalyst for farmers to acquire new knowledge and learn new techniques that helped expand their horizon for the benefit of their families. In the end, it taught them to stand on their own and become models of empowerment in their community. 

“Before the training, we used to plant maize seeds anyhow, but now I have learned to grow early-maturing hybrid varieties and apply optimum seed spacing. That added to correct methods of manure and fertilizer placement and fall armyworm control, I have been able to harvest ten times more than before,” she adds. 

The income her family got helped them to buy a water tank. “Accessing water was a nightmare because I had to spend hours ferrying water from a distant source to our home. But now that we have a water tank, I can finish my house chores in record time. With extra time, I can attend to the chickens, cows, and goats that also drink plenty of water and now produce more milk and eggs, respectively,” she adds.

The dear daughter to Mr. Waweru says, “I love my parents, and I pray that they live longer. Now that we can supplement their meals with milk and eggs, my parents look healthier, and I know they will live long. We have been tough that breakfast is an important meal of the day, and their breakfast is now full of much-needed nutrition.”

Veronica also used to cook from a kitchen with a broken roof, from the sale of the bountiful harvest she and her parents were able to buy new iron sheets and now cook from a comfortable kitchen. 

The family is also able to create jobs for others who help them with the construction of various structures on their farm. 

With more than 50 animals (cows, goats, sheep, and chickens) on their farm, the family is also able to harvest manure from the animal waste matter. 

A new beginning has dawned for the family of nine. Before now, their maize store was an empty structure idling and having no use. But now the store is never empty and stands as a sign of certainty for a future food source and evidence of hard work and optimism. 

AGRA believes that agricultural technologies and practices can only have a positive effect if they are communicated and implemented by farmers and end-users. Extension is the mechanism by which this process is achieved. Within our five-year strategy, one of the biggest challenges is how to further the reach and impact of government extension agents and create demand for improved seeds, fertilizers, and other yield-enhancing inputs. The ratio of extension staff to farmers in most of our target countries is 1:5,000. We aim to improve this ratio to 1:500.

Recognizing the growing role of the private sector in the lives and livelihoods of Africa’s farmers, our extension approach involves identifying and training self-employed village-based advisors (VBAs). VBAs are ‘lead farmers’ who are selected to share technologies and knowledge locally with fellow farmers. With connections to input companies, they help to promote quality seeds and fertilizers, together with good agricultural practices. This model has been particularly successful in Kiambu County, Kenya.

AGRA works through the Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation In Africa (PIATA). This is a unique strategic partnership launched in 2017 that enables African agriculture actors to do business differently as they support leaders to drive an inclusive agricultural transformation. PIATA members include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, BMZ.

By Nancy Okwengu