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.  

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.  

Dr Freddy Baijukya presenting the results from the Baseline Survey to participants, October 2015. 

Mr David Kijazi from AFAP presenting works done by his organization in the SHZT, October 2015.

Plenaries at sessions during inception workshop,  October 2015.

Mr Philemon Moyo from RUDI presenting works done by his plenary group, October 2015.