Saturday, 16 July 2016
Friday, 15 July 2016
TRAINING FARMER LEADERS ON ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT
In June
2016, the training on Administration and Management was conducted to farmers
leaders in Namtumbo Njombe and Songea Districts. The total of 60 participants, 20 from each
District, attended the training. The training was purposively done to such
farmers’ leaders since they become ToTs.
The participants were so excited to have such training Module and were
left with some assignment to go back to their groups and to see that they work
out the administration deficiencies in their respective groups. The ToTs are
also expected to strart training in other particular groups in the future
dates.
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Plenary Sessions and presentation
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Field Days and Dr Rebbies visit in Project sites
During
May 2016, Dr Rebbie Harrawa from AGRA Nairobi Office, paid a visit to Project
site. The visit which was done at the interphase of year I and year II was
determined to review the progress of the project during year I and to provide
the leadership (roadmap) for implimentation for year II. Dr Rebbie was able to
visit some sites in all the three districts of intervention. Fortunately, the
visit fell under some field days!
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| Dr Rebbie observing a demo in Njombe District, May 2016. |
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Dr Rebbie attended a Farmers Day
in Namtumbo District, May 2016.
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Dr Rebbie celebrating high yielding UH 6303 in Bi Eva Mwigune Demo plot, Njombe District, May 2016.
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Excursion to Kilolo Malimbichi AMCOS - Kilolo Distict
To
activate the spirit to success, the confidence, and effectiveness while
managing their cooperatives, leading farmers from Namtumbo, Njombe and Songea
Rural were sent for a learning trip - excursion at Malimbichi AMCOs, Kilolo
District, Iringa region. The trip was
done in January, 2016. Kilolo Malimbichi AMCOS which geographical lies under
the same line and environment was identified as successful AMCOs during
consultation with the Ministry of Agriculture Officials. The visit was evidence
that farmers in the areas of intervention can be able to achieve their
marketing targets. The study tour
involved lead farmers from each district of intervention. Among other many things these leaders had an
opportunity to learn: i) How to expand
their portfolio ii) How to operate/manage operations in warehouses iii)
How to expand market shares though
increasing number of buyers outside to their areas of operations iv) How
to access and manage to pay loans acquired from
financial institutions v) Handling
various matters relating to smooth running of their AMCOs and for the
benefit of members such as project formulation, assets managements and
expansion and financial management, and vi) management of the winning triplet –
SACCOS – AMCOS – AGRO INPUT SUPPLIES.
In
order to achieve objectives for the study tour,
participants had to pay a physical visit to the Malimbichi AMCOs office,
Malimbichi AMCOs shop and the Malimbichi SACCOs Premises. Participants were gathered in the District
Council meeting room for detailed briefing, discussions, explanations and
various illustrations.
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Farmers shunting from points during Excursion in Kilolo District, Iringa Region, January 2016.
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Monitoring and Evaluation
The project carries has an internal
ongoing Monitoring and Evaluation process. With regards to the M & E plan
some of the data are collected routinely during operations, while some of them
are collected on bi annually and on annual basis.
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Dr Irene Regnard, an M & E in charge discuss
with farmers during weeding in demo plots, Songea Rural District, January, 2016.
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DEMO PLOTS PREPARATION & PLANTING
During November up to Mid-January,
planting was continuing in the areas of intervention. There was a total of 48
demos, which aimed to introduce Liming the use of fertilizer, crop rotation,
and the use of improved and high yielding crops such as Maize (UH 6303), Soy 2,
Njano Common Beans.
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Farmers Group preparing a Demo Plot in Songea
Rural District, November 2015.
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PROCURING MOTOCYCLES AND LAPTOPS FOR THE PROJECT
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Motorbike for use in Songea Rural Distict. |
Mr
Augustine Lyabonga, the FEO for Njombe District with his Motorbike.
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| Dr Mark Msaki (right), the overall project leader handling the Lap top for project use to Fth Nestory Mtweve, Director for NDO, June 2016. |
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| Dr Mark Msaki (left), the overall project leader handling the Lap top for project use to Mr Nyange on behalf of the Director for CDASO, June 2016. |
SITUATION ANALYSIS, GAPS IDENTIFICATION AND TRAINING NEED ASSESSMENT FOR AGRICULTURAL AND MARKETING COOPERATIVES
During December 2015, situation analysis, gaps
identification and training need assessment for AMCOs was done through meetings
and interviews with AMCOs leaders, members and stakeholders. This aimed at
identifying communities and cooperatives performance gaps and Training Needs Assessment
hence forming a working framework of the project. Similarly, the audience also intended
to obtain the following information in order to come up with capacity building
strategies and performance support needs to the respective cooperatives among
the things reviewed were registration status for AMCOS, Financial Management capacity, Leadership and Management capacity, Membership issues
and management, Office and warehouse facilities availability, Financial report and audit status, Marketing issues and
capacities, Linkage (financial institutions, input suppliers), Performance gap
identification (training needs).
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| Needs assessment, Namtumbo District, December 2015. |
Needs
assessment, Songea Rural District, December 2015.
INCEPTION WORKSHOP
Scaling Out Integrated Soil Fertility
Management Technologies in Southern Highlands of Tanzania Project (ISFM)
Inception Workshop took place on 6 and 7 Oct, 2015 at Meeting Hall of the
Regional Hospital of Songea. The workshop was attended by a wide variety of
stakeholders representing institutions including Regional (Ruvuma and Njombe)
and Districts Council (Njombe, Namtumbo and Songea Rural) Non-Governmental Organizations
(NGOs) and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) working with farmers in the
Southern Highland Zones of Tanzania. The workshop aimed at introducing the
project to both partners and to ensure that interventions are leveraging and do
not duplicate efforts. Among the partners that attended the workshop were RUDI,
BRITEN and AFAP. The Uyole and Naliendele Agriculture Research Intitutes (ARIs)
were represented by the Maize /Grains
and Roots / Tubers crop specialists who work extensively in respective
crops in Southern Highland Zone of Tanzania. The National Microfinance Bank
(NMB), also financing agriculture was also represented in the Workshop. After
the introduction and presentation of the Baseline Report, the partners were
provided time to present their interventions. During the closure of the
workshop, the Project was not only able to establish essential partnerships but
was also able to precisely decide areas of project interventions.
Ms E Swai, the District Agriculture,
Irrigation and Cooperative Officer (DAICO) for Songea Rural District provided a
key note address to open the workshop on behalf of the represented the District
Executive Director for Songea Rural District.
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| Ms E. Swai, the DAICO for Songea Rural District
(on behalf of the Songea District Executive Director) giving a key note address
on the opening of the Inception Workshop, October 2015 Mrs. Swai’s speech which represented the opinion of Executive Directors in three districts of interventions highlighted how Southern High Lands is experiencing low productivity, lack of market and lack of knowledge for the farmers in production. She looked forward for the project to provide solutions to these threats and suggested that the solution is for farmers to produce by using modern technologies and that is ISFM (Integrated Soil Fertility Technologies) under the auspices of the newly introduced AGRA 2014 SHP 002 Project.
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Mr David Kijazi from AFAP presenting works done
by his organization in the SHZT, October 2015.
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Plenaries at sessions during inception workshop,
October 2015. |
Mr
Philemon Moyo from RUDI presenting works done by his plenary group, October
2015.
Baseline Survey
This
baseline survey (n = 379) was done in May – June 2015. The survey which adopted
a cross sectional design using mixed methods of data collection was done in the
total of 11 villages. The survey engaged a total of 8 wards, 3 in Njombe, 3 in
Songea Rural, and 2 in Namtumbo District. Questionnaires, Focus Group
Discussions (FGDs), Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) and documentary review was
employed to collect General information / characteristics of
respondents; Farming Activities and Income; Access of smallholders farmers to
Agro input; Knowledge of smallholder farmers in using the ISFM option; Farmers
access to output markets and Production constraints. Data collection followed
training to enumerators and pre testing the tools.
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| Dr Baijukya, during training enumerators, Njombe, May 2015 |
Conducting
Baseline Survey, Songea Rural, May 2015
METHODOLOGICAL WORKSHOP
The Methodological Workshop done in August 2015, was important to
bring into line the project with new AGRA’ Strategy and expected deliverable aligned to Component 3. The Workshop Done in Dar es Salaam was pertinent to
share project protocols and compare them with the AGRA protocol template.
Various tools such as data collection worksheets, projects’ databases, communication
plans, linkages with AGRA, Projects’ Implementation
plans (PIPs), project management and risk management.
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| Dr Abednego Kiwia from AGRA Nairobi, leading the
Methodological Workshop in Dar es salaam August 2015 |
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Dr
Abednego Kiwia from AGRA Nairobi, demonstrating the measurement of fertilizer
during the Methodological Workshop in
Dar es salaam August 2015.
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Thursday, 14 July 2016
ORIENTATION WORKSHOP
In July 2015 AGRA held an orientation workshop for AGRA Grantee in Holiday Hotel, Dar es salaam. The workshop brought together the Technical and Financial Officers of AGRA grantees from Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia. The orientation workshop introduced grantees to AGRA. It also highlighted expectation from grantees, financial reporting requirements, audit requirements and compliance. The workshop also covered AGRAs, Monitoring and Evaluation procedures and reporting.
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| Participants in the AGRA orientation workshop, July 2015 |
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