A farmer examines his maize crop (photo credit: CIAT/Stephanie Malyon).

By Kennedy Ng’ang’a and Stephanie Malyon (CIAT) 

Patrice looks at the maize growing on his farm. The stems are stunted, the cobs immature and the leaves are yellow. It will be another failed crop this year, a consequence of the rain coming too little too late.

The ground is parched and where a small stream used to flow through his farm – bringing its life-giving waters to thirsty crops – only a dry riverbed remains. As a result, the canals that used to take water from the stream around Patrice’s farm are of service no more. With no rain or stream to water his maize, there is little he can do but watch his entire crop waste away.

This is the reality facing many farmers in parts of northern Tanzania, where failed rains and drying streams mean the main source of livelihood – agriculture – is under serious threat.

Though little can be done to influence the rains, something can be done about the drying streams to maintain them as a lifeline for farmers like Patrice who need a way to irrigate their crops in the dry season. It all starts with how water is managed as a strategic resource by the community.

In a bid to buffer smallholder farmers from erratic rainfall the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), through the Africa RISING project, is carrying out research into sustainable water management and use in Tanzania.

CIAT scientist Fred Kizito (right) uses a Diviner 2000 device to measure soil water over multiple depths in Babati District, Tanzania (photo credit: IITA/Jonathan Odhong’).

Using a combination of scientific techniques, monitoring instruments and computer models, CIAT is investigating water dynamics in the region. Scientists are looking at everything, from how much and how often it rains, to the consumption of water by different crops, to water abstraction from the rivers for household and other uses. In doing so, CIAT is building a bigger picture of how water is utilized here.

This knowledge will enable the development of an optimized water use strategy that will safeguard against depleting the resource through agricultural wastage. The strategy includes identifying plants that suck too much water out of the ground and release it into the air through transpiration.

CIAT is already testing the consumptive water use of several varieties of crops and making recommendations for varieties that give the best yields with the least use of water. Initiatives such as these will ensure that the ever scarcer water resources are utilized efficiently and sustainably preventing their depletion and the consequent repercussions.

Researchers are also testing a range of other crop varieties in order to identify those that are resilient to the region’s changing climate and delayed rains. Part of this research involves finding out how much moisture is in the soil at the deeper levels below the surface. This will help in the selection of suitable crop varieties to test in the region – those that have deeper roots and can reach deep-seated water and survive in dry seasons.

This research, and other initiatives, is being carried out in a bid to help farmers in northern Tanzania adapt to less water and unpredictable rains. Findings from this study will be used in other parts of Africa facing similar water stress.

This story has been re-posted from ciat soils blog where it was originally published on 12/05/2015

Elda Mmary (left)  with a vegetable farmer in Bahati, Tanzania (photo credit: IITA/Gloriana Ndibalema).

Written by Gloriana Ndibalema and Jonathan Odhong’

Becoming an agricultural extension officer was her childhood dream, her aspiration. And now she is living that dream – working as an extension officer with the Africa RISING project in Babati District, Tanzania.

Despite being a single mother to a three-year-old daughter, Elda Mmary has found the perfect balance between  her responsibilities as a parent and her duties as an agricultural extension officer.

‘When I was young, I admired the agricultural extension officers working in my village. I actually prayed to be one because they seemed so knowledgeable. They always had answers to the questions people had about agriculture,’ Mmary explains reflectively.

Elda Mmary

Mmary has been associated with Africa RISING project activities in Babati since 2012. Her involvement started with initial project activities on adaptation of promising crop management technologies to land and production environments, and improved post-harvest technologies for improving household nutrition and income. These activities were led by the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) respectively. Currently, she is working with farmers on activities led by the World Vegetable Center (AVRDC) to integrate vegetables into the maize-based farming systems of Babati District.

After nearly five years working with farmers on the project, Mmary has gathered interesting experiences and lessons on the role played by extension officers in helping farmers to adopt new, better and improved agricultural technologies and practices.

‘Farmer training through demonstrations and trials work,’ she declares. ‘The training provided by the project has contributed immensely to creating a change among farmers to adopt better farming practices. A good example of change in Babati is the steady elimination of the misconception among farmers that fertilizer use “kills” the soils. Through farmer education and training we have proved to them that this is just a myth,’ she explains.

Mmary is quick to also point out that farmer education is a critical component to ensure sustainability of new interventions introduced through projects like Africa RISING.  This new knowledge, she explains, isn’t only beneficial to farmers but also to the extension agents who take the new knowledge beyond the project villages.

However, every success has its challenges. For her, the attitude of some of the farmers is a significant barrier.

‘Some farmers expect cash compensation whenever they are involved in a research project like Africa RISING. Others are also sometimes selfish with project equipment entrusted to them and refuse to share them with fellow farmers,’ she explains. ‘At a personal level, one of the biggest hindrances to my work is the distances I have to travel in the course of my duties moving from one village to the next. I sometimes end up spending more time than necessary on the road than preferably being in the field and working with farmers,’ she adds.

Asked about other farmer needs that the project should address, Mmary says that access to markets should be a future priority. This is because, in her opinion, once the farm productivity goes up, farmers start looking for and need markets to sell their produce.

Small scale farmers are the guardians of 80 per cent of the world’s farmland. If we are to resolve the global soil crisis, they must be at the heart of the solutions. We need to listen to their voices.

Watch this video where farmers from Ethiopia,Kenya and Tanzania talk about soil

Tanzania breeders inspect rice variety trial (photo Credit: IRRI)

Preference for aromatic rice by consumers is an open secret in the rice sector in Tanzania. But this preference for a distinct scent in rice could be a root cause of stagnating rice production in the country.

Local rice varieties grown by farmers are aromatic but low-yielding (producing only 1.8 tons per hectare on average), a production trend that will in the near future not be able to meet the anticipated demand for rice as population increases and incomes rise in the country.

Despite having productive capacities that are double or triple those of local rice varieties; improved rice varieties have failed to register success in Tanzania because most the improved varieties developed and proposed so far, are either non-aromatic or at best semi-aromatic. Traders say consumers have little interest in buying non-aromatic or semi-aromatic rice and pay very low prices for it.

Getting to the root of the problem

Researchers from AfricaRice (through the Africa RISING project) in partnership with a local NGO, NAFAKA, have been implementing activities aimed at finding the appropriate middle ground for stakeholders involved in the rice value chain in Tanzania. Through the use of various scientific approaches they hope to provide solutions to the impasse that has stifled efforts to increase rice production in the country.

The researchers are first seeking to establish the preferred attributes in rice by consumers and their willingness to pay (WTP) for these attributes. This will be done through experimental auctions to determine the monetary value consumers place on different rice varieties and related reasons. After establishing these reasons, the team will then implement activities to raise consumer awareness about the attributes of rice that can contribute to satisfying some of their nutritional needs. These actions, they believe, will support the yield-improvement efforts currently being conducted to ensure consumers make informed choices about rice products based on other attributes apart from aroma. This work, it is hoped, will open the way for considering policy options to support future improvement of rice quality and for enhancing rice competitiveness and marketing.

Consumers have preferences, but are they willing to pay?

Participants at the experimental auctions carry out a collective assessment of the rice varieties (Photo credit: AfricaRice/ Gaudiose Mujawamariya)

To investigate consumer preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for various attributes like aroma and grain colour, the team conducted experimental auctions in Morogoro, Tanzania between 13-18 April 2015. The auctions were attended by 131 participants (83% of them women) who were randomly selected from two open air local markets in Mawenzi and Morogoro.

During the experimental auctions, four rice samples were assessed. These included two local varieties: SupaKyela, a variety widely known by consumers, and Mbawambiri, a variety that is grown by many farmers but remains largely unknown in the market. The third sample was an improved aromatic rice variety (IR05 N221) that is prone to a comparably higher breakage rate and the fourth was the low quality rice in terms of visual appearance resulting from poor post-harvest handling. This fourth variety was used as the benchmark.

The structure used in experimental design was the Vickery 2^nd auction within which a winner who proposes the highest price pays the second highest bid. Nine sessions were held; each session included 15 participants (except for the first session that comprised 11 participants). In each session, four rounds of assessing consumer’s willingness to pay were conducted including three individual trials and a collective round. The individual trials involved the assessment of the WTP by each participant of the uncooked rice, the cooked rice and a final individual assessment after the collective round. The collective round involved a discussion and consensus on the willingness to pay by the group made of randomly assigned participants.

Taste testing: Participants tasted cooked samples of each of the rice varieties during the experimental auctions (Photo credit: AfricaRice/ Gaudiose Mujawamariya)

Results from experimental auction show that the local aromatic rice varieties were preferred to the benchmark rice. In addition to the benchmark rice price of  TShs 1,500 (USD 0.65)/kg, for uncooked rice, the WTP for these local aromatic varieties varied between TShs 455 and 496/Kg implying that the consumers can on average pay close to Tshs 2000/Kg on local aromatic varieties.

But participants expressed less preference for the improved aromatic rice due to the high percentage of broken grains. The average willingness to pay for this improved variety was negative. The above trends were observed throughout the sessions although the willingness to pay values tended to increase after tasting the cooked rice; in fact 54% of the respondents changed their preference after tasting the rice. Discussions in groups which enable the participants to exchange knowledge and perceptions also influenced the auction outcomes; the WTP above the benchmark price for Mbawambiri declined to TShs 430 TShs/kg whereas for SupaKyela the WTP slightly increased toTShs 509/kg.

Overall, aroma is still the key determinant of preferences; however, it is important to note that consumers want rice without a high percentage of broken grains. Variation in appearance can be tolerated to some extent because some dishes like pilau mask the colour of rice. Taste ranks high as a key determinant of repeated consumption. Follow-up experiments will be conducted to confirm the above results. A key message for rice sector stakeholders from the auctions is that growing aromatic varieties is not sufficient. In addition, good milling qualities followed by proper post-harvest handling will give rice producers and traders a niche in the market based on existing consumer preferences.

By Gaudiose Mujawamariya (AfricaRice) with contributions from Jonne Rodenburg, George Mgendi, Esther Achandi, Eyram Amovin-Assagba and Elisha M. Mkandya

Anthony Kimaro, scientist and World Agroforesty Centre country representative in Tanzania at the  Africa RISING review meeting in Malawi  (photo credit: IITA / Jonathan Odhong’)

More than 50 scientists from CGIAR centres and National Research Systems converged in Mangochi, Malawi from 13 – 15 July for the review and planning meeting of the Africa RISING East and Southern Africa (ESA) Project.

The meeting, which is held annually, brought together all partners implementing activities under the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)-led project and focused on consolidating achievements from activities by all implementing partners in the region. Discussions at the three-day meeting also touched on how to ensure partners successfully execute all the activities they are implementing as phase 1 of the project comes to an end in 2016 and how these activities can contribute to further increasing project impact in a possible second phase.

Consolidating project achievements

At the meeting’s opening, Victor Manyong, the IITA director for East Africa and chair of the Africa RISING ESA called on project partners to consolidate their achievements and successes since the start of their activities so the project team can use this information to make a compelling case for funding for a second phase of the project. Manyong also reassured participants that systems research would continue being an integral part of CGIAR research despite recent and expected changes in CGIAR research programs. He noted that Africa RISING as a systems research project would continue working  with other systems research initiatives under the new maize, legume and root tubers and bananas agrifood systems research program after 2016.

Further setting the tone for the meeting, Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon, the Africa RISING West Africa and East/Southern Africa projects coordinator, called on partners to focus on bringing the first phase of the project (now in its final year) to a successful end and to build the basis for a second phase.

‘Funders have so far been pleased with the progress made by Africa RISING since inception in 2011. But more work still has to be done in the coming year. It is important that we focus on further disciplinary integration, refinement of the technologies that you have found to work and which you consider to be scalable, as well as on documentation of your research findings,’ she said.

‘Best-bet, best-fit’ agricultural systems technologies

A key highlight of the meeting was the presentation by project teams in Tanzania and Malawi of the ‘best-bet, best-fit’ technologies on which they have collected data and which they will propose for scaling in the second phase of the project. Some of the technologies identified in this category included doubled-up legume (pigeon pea-groundnut intercropping) in Ntcheu and Dedza districts of Malawi; integrated fodder and crop production in Kongwa and Kiteto districts in Tanzania; and food storage, value addition and mycotoxin management in Babati District, Tanzania.

Meeting participants

‘This is a great step by the teams who have for the first time been able to present us with compelling data showing the scalable options/technologies identified,’ said Mateete Bekunda, the Africa RISING East and Southern Africa chief scientist. But he cautioned that in some cases the data presented was incomplete and needed another cropping season to be finalized. ‘We need to make this data more robust in the coming year and hopefully in the next, move on to scaling the technologies,’ he said.

Meeting feed the future goals

Brian Martalus, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Feed the Future initiative coordinator in Zambia, who was attending the second Africa RISING ESA project review meeting, said the project’s shift to start planning for scaling up of successes was a a key step in meeting the Feed the Future program goals in the region.

What will a possible second phase of Africa RISING look like?

Project partners expressed optimism that the second phase of the project will focus on how getting the ‘best-bet, best-fit’ technologies into the hands of smallholder farmers.

‘In the next phase we want to work more with partners to get our technologies to farmers so that they are better able to adapt to changing environments resulting from climate and socio-economic conditions,’ said Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon. ‘We are also likely to do more social science research on how technologies are adopted and the potential constraints to adoption as well as how to overcome them,’ she said.

Left to right: Gaudiose Mujawamariya (AfricaRice), Kalimuthu Senthilkumar (AfricaRice), Elisha Mkandya (ILONGA Agricultural Research Institute) and Silvanus Mruma (NAFAKA) discuss the proposed work plan for the rice team year two activities (photo credit: IITA/Gloriana Ndibalema).

Partners implementing activities under the Africa RISING – NAFAKA scaling project held their first annual review and planning meeting recently (8-10 July 2015) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania where they discussed effective ways to scaling up improved crop varieties to Tanzania’s smallholder farmers. The meeting was attended by over 30 participants including representatives from CGIAR Centres and research and development sector organizations overseeing scaling activities in the project.

Launched in October 2014 through funding by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) mission in Tanzania, the project is working to support ongoing Africa RISING research which is disseminating best-practice technologies on vegetable, maize and rice production and better post-harvest practices that sustainably increase whole-farm productivity.

‘This meeting helps us to jointly discuss implementation and planning of our activities as we focus on reaching 47,000 households involved in maize and rice farming in the country,’ said Haroon Sseguya, the Africa RISING technology scaling specialist at the start of the three-day meeting.

‘A key goal for this project involves expanding the cultivation of improved rice production technologies to 116,000 hectares and to increase both maize and rice yields by 50%,’ he explained further.

Participants discussed at length the experiences from the first year of implementing Africa RISING in Tanzania and used lessons from the review to plan for the second year of the project. Some of the emerging issues from review of first year activities included challenges in building and maintaining partnerships, challenges arising from poor seed distribution networks in the country and how to overcome them; project reporting on USAID/Feed the Future indicators and identifying the best approaches for scaling up technologies.

Meeting agenda and objectives (photo credit: IITA/Gloriana Ndibalema).

A significant output from the meeting was the development of work plans for the second year of the project by all partners. To address the need for a clear scaling approach, partners agreed to continue visits to ‘mother’ farmers in the initial project intervention sites even after establishing new ‘baby’ sites.

Training sessions on project communication tools and monitoring and evaluation were also conducted in order to improve project reporting and documentation.

“We came up with work plans that will be jointly implemented by all partners in project sites,’ said Kalimuthu Senthilkumar, a systems agronomist at AfricaRice Center.

Veronica Uzokwe, an agronomist and the SARD-SC Tanzania country coordinator, said the meeting helped partners to achieve, within a  short time, what they could not have completed working from different locations.

‘We managed to brainstorm and came up with ideas to fast track the process of meeting project objectives as a team and not as independent institutes. The fact that we had representatives from AVRDC, AfricaRice, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), NAFAKA, World Agroforestry Institute (ICRAF), International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), KATRIN, TAMASA, ARI-ILONGA, ARI-HOMBOLO and others round the table enriched our discussions and enabled quick and informed decision-making about next year’s activities,’ she said.

The project management team (PMT), which is responsible for providing oversight on project activities also held its inaugural meeting which was chaired by Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon, the Africa RISING coordinator for West Africa and East/Southern Africa, Key decisions taken by the PMT included the need to involve local government authorities in project activities and agreement on way forward with regards to reporting on Feed the Future indicators as well  as documentation of success stories.

Winnie Saigodi has planted Gliricidia sepium and Grevillea robusta trees as shelter belts in her farm (Photo credit: IITA/Jonathan Odhong’)

Winnie Saigodi, a mother of five, from Moleti village in Kongwa District, Tanzania, had long given up on ever harvesting any meaningful produce from her one acre farm.

‘I completely lost hope because for five years, I hardly harvested anything from the farm despite cultivating different crops. Nothing grew well and soil erosion was also a major problem,’ Saidogi says. She eventually left the land fallow until researchers from the World Agroforesty Centre (ICRAF)  working with the Africa RISING project visited her and asked to use part of her farm for research trials on growing multipurpose Gliricidia (Gliricidia sepium) trees, which can be grown for fodder, wood supply, wind erosion control and soil fertility improvement.

She readily accepted because she had nothing to lose. Two years after the research and demonstration trials started, her opinion about the productivity of her land has completely changed.

What she has seen has convinced her that she and other smallholder farmers in Tanzania’s soil erosion battered districts of Kongwa and Kiteto can still get good harvests from their farms and turn around their fortunes.

Anthony Kimaro, the ICRAF country representative in Tanzania and the Africa RISING research theme leader, says that in the 2014/2015 season alone, courtesy of the project, over 16,000 Gliricidia seedlings were raised by farmers and distributed for planting in the five villages of Mlali, Molet, Ilakala, Manyusi and Njoro. More than 100 lead farmers took part in a demonstration of the tested agroforestry technologies of raising these trees and they later shared their newly acquired knowledge with other farmers.

‘Farmers now know how to raise these tree seedlings and plant them in strategic parts of their fields depending on site condition and land availability,’ explains Kimaro. Africa RISING is also establishing various landscape based agroforestry practices to improve access to fodder, fuel wood and to control soil erosion in Tanzania’s Kongwa and Kiteto Districts.

Farmers will also use the Gliricidia as a source of firewood and green manure. Harvesting of crops residues as fodder (supplementary animal feeds) or fuel wood (for cooking) is already common practice in semi-arid central Tanzania where the project’s activities are being implemented.

Creating change: Farmers in Mlali village in Kongwa District, Tanzania are also planting Grevillea trees to supply fuel wood and timber (photo credit: IITA/Jonathan Odhong’).

According to Kimaro,  fuel wood extraction is responsible for more than a quarter (27%) of all deforestation in Tanzania. Farmers, especially women, in semi-arid areas spend six to eight hours each day searching for a head load of fuel wood which is used up after just two to three days.’

He believes fast growing leguminous trees/shrubs such as Gliricidia and Melia trees will help households build firewood reserves in addition to providing animal feed and green manure for their farms.

“I am happy that my field is green and I have started enjoying the shade from the trees during lunch or breastfeeding breaks when working in the farm,’ says Saigodi. She is looking forward to harvesting a good amount of wood in December this year from the year-old Gliricidia trees, which is much more than she gets from crop residues.

She says knowledge from the project is changing the beliefs and misconceptions of farmers in the village.

‘We believed trees couldn’t be planted in the farms because they suck away nutrients from food crops, but we now know the types of trees that are friendly to crops and that add nutrients in the soil,’ she says. ‘Moreover, planting trees at the farm is helping reduce farm boundary conflicts.’

A motorized maize shelling machine demonstration at the Africa RISING exhibition stand during the 2015 ‘nane nane’ agricultural exhibition in Tanzania (photo credit: IITA/Gloriana Ndibalema).

Various agricultural interventions being implemented by Africa RISING Tanzania project partners were last month (1-8 August 2015) exhibited during the ‘nane nane’ agricultural fair in Arusha, Tanzania.

Over 200 participants, mostly farmers, visited the Africa RISING stand to learn about the project’s activities and ongoing interventions. Importantly, the participants also gave valuable feedback on some of the displayed technologies.

Interventions showcased at the fair included Aflasafe biocontrol product, mycotoxin management, vegetable value addition, post-harvest handling of vegetables as well as labour reducing maize shelling machines. Visitors to the Africa RISING stand were also given short training courses on best practices in vegetable-poultry integration.

‘I am so impressed with what I have learnt from the Africa RISING stand,’ said Emmanuel Bebek, a farmer from Ngaramotoni ya Juu. ‘I want to now implement the new things I have learnt, especially regarding livestock feed processing. I am so happy to leave this place with new knowledge,’ he said.

Bebek requested the project team to consider working beyond the selected districts saying the project’s activities would benefit all  farmers in Tanzania.

Judith Richard, a farmer from Tanga also expressed her gratitude to the project team for the exhibition and brief training. She said she was impressed most by the labour reducing maize shelling machine saying it was ‘a great innovation that I would like to have because traditional maize processing methods are very tiresome and time-consuming, especially for us (women ) who are mostly left to do the shelling after harvest.’

Festo Ngulu (left), Africa RISING research coordinator for Babati District, explains the projects’ interventions on aflatoxin mitigation to farmers at a project stand during the nane nane agricultural fair in Arusha, Tanzania (photo credit: IITA/ Gloriana Ndibalema).

Like Bebek, she noted that the challenges being addressed by Africa RISING affect many more farmers beyond the current project intervention sites in Tanzania and the project should scale up its activities.

‘Today I have learnt for the first time about the danger posed by mycotoxins. Whenever I harvest maize, I see some of it having the mycotoxin features, but I never knew that it is poisonous. I would readily give those affected maize cobs to poultry and livestock without knowing that the effects can get back to humans later through livestock and poultry products,’ she said.

Adolf Mushi, a Faida Market Link consultant in Arusha said he was impressed to see Africa RISING taking part and exhibiting in the nane nane agricultural fair.

‘This is the first time I’m seeing a research project take part in this fair; which is a good effort by the project. It conveys a positive message to the farmers and builds their confidence that research projects are working with them to address their challenges,’ he explained.

The nane nane agricultural fair, a public holiday in Tanzania, is held annually on the eighth day of August to celebrate the nation’s farmers. The event recognizes the hard work and contribution they make to the Tanzanian economy. Stakeholders in agriculture showcase their work and innovations towards sustainable agricultural growth and development in the country.

Farmers know that soil is a precious commodity. But in Babati District, northern Tanzania, a long held belief that mineral fertilizers spoils soils is preventing them from making informed decisions on how best to keep their soils healthy and increase their yields.

Researchers from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and the Selian Agriculture Research Institute (SARI) are investigating best-bet fertilizer options and agronomic practices for maize in the region as part of the USAID-funded Africa RISING program. Their work is challenging local beliefs and changing attitudes…..read more

Written by: Stephanie Malyon (CIAT) and originally published in the September 2015 edition of CIAT Africa E-Bulletin

Source: Photo story: Busting soil myths in Tanzania

Fred Kizito, senior scientist at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), introduces himself and his work with the program. It is one of a series of portraits of key people in Africa RISING.

Fred Kizito, senior scientist at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) (photo credit: CIAT)

Tell us about your background

I hold a dual major doctorate degree from Oregon State University, Corvallis, USA in soil science and water resources engineering. I have previously worked on bottom-up approaches that address land degradation, soil fertility decline, water scarcity and loss of ecosystem services in farming communities while looking at several tradeoffs. I have also served as project leader on several multi-country initiatives within IWMI with a focus on sustainable intensification in cereal based systems including participation in the Africa RISING Early-Wins Phase in 2012. I have participated in several multidisciplinary teams on impacts of land use practices on hydrological variations in eastern and southern Africa as well as Sahel farming agro-ecosystems. I also previously (2006-2010) worked for the California Environmental Protection Agency on Total Daily Maximum Loads (TMDLs) that helps produce regulatory guidelines for water quality protection.

What do you do in your current position?

I am currently a senior scientist at CIAT focusing on soils, water and landscapes; my work entails agriculture-livelihoods-environment interactions, restoring degraded landscapes, trade-off analysis in agricultural landscapes and sustainable intensification at multiple scales to address soil erosion, water scarcity and loss of ecosystem services. My main research areas are sustainable land and water resources management; ecosystem services assessments and modeling flows and fluxes within the natural environment.

What are your plans for Africa RISING?

• Publish pending outputs from phase I
• Scaling and delivery of effective and attractive technologies
• Engaging closer with policymakers to strengthen the science-policy interface so that smallholder farmers can benefit in terms of their food and nutritional needs and poverty alleviation;
• Making field data collection more user friendly and smart with remote access capabilities.

What are the biggest Africa RISING challenges and how do we deal with them?

The translation of research results and outputs into impact based outcomes; the way this is dealt with is by engaging strategic and relevant implementing partners.

What are some of the main achievements of this program?

The ability to work across several institutions towards impact. The program also emphasizes the interests of smallholder farmers while also looking into the science-policy interface.

What gives you hope looking at a possible second phase, based on the first phase?

Functional partnerships. And Phase I has set the stage for realizing and converting some of the research outputs into outcomes for impact. Where success has been recorded, these need to be scaled out and rolled out to wider audiences. As noted earlier, the challenge will be to look into translating research results and outputs into impact-based outcomes with strategic and functional partnerships.

In the aftermath of an international conference on the diagnosis and management of maize lethal necrosis (MLN) in Africa in May 2015; the global research and development community vowed to step up efforts to find lasting solutions to the endemic disease in Kenya and Tanzania.

In a video published recently by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), MLN researchers say they are close to a breakthrough in developing MLN tolerant maize varieties, that will help farmers in East Africa successfully fight the disease.

The outbreak and rapid spread of MLN in East Africa is one of the key challenges to food security in the region because it affects the productivity of the widespread smallholder maize-based agricultural systems as well as the commercial maize production sector in the region.

Through the Africa RISING program and other initiatives, CIMMYT has been leading research efforts to develop maize varieties that are resistant to MLN using a crop-livestock intensification approach to improve the productivity of smallholder agricultural systems in Babati District, Tanzania. Through the initiative the researchers are also seeking to understand MLN epidemiology to develop suitable and integrated solutions to manage the threat posed by the disease.

Some promising maize hybrids have been identified by the Africa RISING project team, but more testing is required to validate how these varieties respond to the disease in hotspot areas under different agronomic and cultural practices.

Results from a cost-benefit-analysis study of fifty-nine Africa RISING technologies in Tanzania show that almost all  the technologies being tested by the project on-farm, with farmer involvement, are better than the base practices used by farmers.

For instance, the mean benefits-cost ratio of the technologies was found to be 1.7 indicating the potential of  farmers earning 70% more, over and above their total expenditures if they adopt the Africa RISING technologies.

The analysis looked at three economic indicators: the gross margin (Tanzania shillings (TZS)/ha) (GM), benefit-cost ratio (BCR) and returns to labour (TZS/person day) (RL).

The research team considered fifty-nine technologies under trial in Babati and Kongwa-Kiteto action areas, representing 2 distinct ecological zones; the sub-humid and semi-arid, respectively.  Technologies included crop diversification through intercropping, soil fertility management, post-harvest management, and integrating high value crops (vegetables) into the production system. Biological and economic data which included grain yield, grain prices, variable input costs and land cost were used in this evaluated.

The mean market output prices for 2014 were collected from secondary sources. Costs of labour, land, and draft power were estimated from Tanzania Africa RISING baseline data for the target crops while costs of commercial inputs (seeds, and fertilizers) were collected through key informant interviews.

More information is contained in the poster below.

Mashehe Salum

Mashehe Salum is a small scale maize and legume farmer in Ngipa village, Kiteto District in central Tanzania. Four years ago, maize yield from her 4 acre farm was barely enough to feed her family of five. She knew she could get more from her farm, but didn’t know what to do improve her farm productivity.

Mashehe’s farm is located in a semi-arid region with low and erratic rainfall. So water access was a significantly big challenge to her farming endeavor. And just like other farmers in Ngipa village, she also planted recycled seeds.  Year after year, she would use the broadcasting technique to plant her maize and year after year the result would be the same –poor harvest, not adequate to feed her family.

But Mashehe’s story today is a stark contrast to her story 4 years ago. She has become a model farmer for her colleagues after she harvested a whopping 60 bags of maize while her fellow farmers were once again deprived off any significant harvests, thanks to a severe drought that affected Kiteto district last year.

According to Mashehe, her life changed the moment she decided to participate in the Africa RISING-NAFAKA-TUBORESHE CHAKULA scaling project’s demonstration farms. She was one of beneficiaries of a training on climate-smart farming in KIteto District they received trainings various good agronomic practices and soil water conservation strategies in semi-arid areas like Kiteto.

“We received training on planting drought resistant maize varieties, line spacing, fertilizer application and use of tied-ridges to conserve soil water. I implemented all the best practices we were trained on and I am grateful it has paid off in such a big way!” she says with a bright smile. “My fellow farmers wondered if I used “uchawi” (magic) in my farm since it remained green while others were drying,” she adds.

Mashehe asserts that, “the higher yields from my farm were largely due to use of tied-ridges that held the little available rain water for longer period”. This meant that soils were wetter for longer periods compared to neighboring farms that used flat planting.

“This time the yields are more than enough to feed my family! I intend to apply the postharvest best practices were trained on to store them and sell at the right price in order to generate school fees for my children,” she explains.

After seeing Mashehe’s success, neighboring farmers are now eager to also learn the new techniques. Mashehe notes that, “Prior to the Africa RISING-NAFAKA-TUBORESHE CHAKULA scaling project, only a few villagers were interested in attending farmers’ meetings, but today because they can see the benefits firsthand, mobilizing them has become relatively easy. They are now eager to learn and use the new knowledge to get better harvests from their farms.”

The previous farmer’s field day organized by the Africa RISING-NAFAKA-TUBORESHE CHAKULA scaling project in Ngipa village was attended by over 200 farmers. Mrs. Mashehe adds that, “this level of attendance was historic since it has never been witnessed before in Ngipa village. Even farmers from neighboring villages attended!”

Mashehe Salum in her farm. She hopes to get better harvests this year too

The Africa RISING-NAFAKA-TUBORESHE CHAKULA scaling project is working to introduce farmers in Kongwa and Kiteto districts in Tanzania to simple seasonal in-situ water-harvesting innovations such as tied ridges, planting pits and trash lines, combined with contour planting to reduce the consequences of both heavy rainfall and short-term drought. The on-going work also integrates other aspects like nutrient management and improved maize seed varieties that are sensitive to low soil moisture. It is anticipated that this work will ensure 47,000 farmers can be able to adopt these practices through this initiative.

MacDonald Bright Jumbo, Maize Molecular Breeder at International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) in Nairobi , introduces himself and his work in the Africa RISING program. It is one of a series of portraits of key people in Africa RISING.

Bright Jumbo

Tell us about your background

I am a Malawian by nationality and I am currently a Molecular Breeder for the Global Maize Program at CIMMYT. Previously, I was working as a plant breeder (cereals – sorghum and pearl millet) at ICRISAT and before that I worked for the Department of Agricultural Research in Malawi. I have an MSc degree in plant breeding and genetics from North Dakota State University, USA and a PhD in plant breeding and genetics from University of Delaware, USA.

What do you do in your current position?

CIMMYT is one of implementing partners in the Africa RISING program and so I am the theme leader for the Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN) disease research work being done by Africa RISING in Tanzania. Of course this work under Africa RISING is part of broader efforts within the region to address emerging maize disease epidemic in east Africa. I am also involved in the USAID Tanzania mission funded project Enhancing partnership among Africa RISING, NAFAKA and TUBORESHE CHAKULA (TUBOCHA) Programs for fast-tracking delivery and scaling of agricultural technologies in Tanzania.

MLN has emerged as a serious threat to maize production in region. The disease was first reported in Kenya in 2011 but has since spread to Tanzania and Uganda, with new reports of its presence in Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia and South Sudan. MLN is caused by mixed infection of maize plants by combination of Maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV, genus Machlomovirus) and potyviruses.

In Kenya and other countries, most frequently it is Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV) in synergism with MCMV causing MLN. Results from initial screening of large volume of pre-commercial and commercial maize varieties from the region have shown that most of the varieties are highly susceptible but some maize inbred lines and hybrids have shown moderate tolerance.

With support from Africa RISING, CIMMYT is evaluating maize hybrids in Tanzania to select varieties with tolerance to MLN and good adaptation in Babati, Tanzania. In addition, CIMMYT evaluates Quality Protein Maize (QPM) and drought tolerant maize for yield and agronomic performance in Kongwa/ Kiteto districts in Tanzania. QPM has enhanced content of lysine and tryptophan, important for increased protein in grain.  CIMMYT is working on this effort in Kongwa and Kiteto districts in Tanzania. QPM will contribute significantly to nutritional needs by families, especially young children and mothers.

What are your plans for Africa RISING (i.e. your next bit of work)?

Together with my team, we intend to focus on identifying MLN tolerant varieties for fast tract release in Tanzania. We will also seek to identify QPM varieties with good characteristics that meet consumer preference. The goal here is to ensure that through Africa RISING, MLN tolerant maize varieties are released and available for farmers use. We will also be working on releasing drought tolerant maize with high nutrition value in the marginal (stress) areas like Kongwa and Kiteto districts as a means of giving smallholder farmers crop varieties that are responsive to their ecologies.

What do you find unique about Africa RISING?

For me it is the multi-disciplinary work going on within the program. Africa RISING has brought together over 100 scientists from diverse disciplines and institutions to work together and develop integrated solutions for small holder farmers. This is a unique approach that ensures partners synergize their research efforts while also ensuring that resources are not wasted in duplications. 

What are the biggest Africa RISING challenges and how do we deal with them?

From the technical point, evaluation of maize hybrids/varieties for MLN resistance under natural disease infestation is quite a big challenge, because the there is usually high variability of disease pressure within each environment and across environments for some seasons. This means to get reliable data we need testing several times across several seasons. However, for Africa RISING, the concept has been to select top performing materials from each season and move on with those materials in next season which is a challenge for cases such as MLN. Besides this, it also becomes a challenge to have publishable data if we only collect data from one season under such conditions. So the solution is to have repeated tests for several seasons, say three seasons.

Bright Jumbo (left) examines a maize plant for MLN symptoms together with two Tanzanian farmers

What are some of the main achievements by your research team?

We have been successful in identifying QPM varieties that are stress resilient and are already in national performance trials for variety release. Two QPM hybrids have now just been approved for release in Tanzania. 

What do you most want to accomplish in your work with Africa RISING?

I will be fulfilled when we finally have MLN tolerant varieties released in Tanzania, be made available and accessible to farmers. That will be a big contribution to helping farmers through the sustainable intensification initiative under small holder farming. 

What gives you hope looking at a possible second phase for Africa RISING?

The first phase of Africa RISING focused much on research, and we have made good progress with identifying high performing crop varieties and refining certain technologies. In the second phase, we should figure out the best scaling methodologies to ensure the varieties and technologies are with the farmers while continuing research with new crop varieties or technologies to make more improvements.

Francis Muthoni, geographic information system specialist at the IInternational Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) in Arusha, introduces himself and his work with the program. It is one of a series of portraits of key people in Africa RISING.

Francis Muthoni (left) talks to a farmer

Tell us about your background?

I hold a PhD in spatial ecology and MSc in Geo-Information and Earth Observation in Environmental Modelling and Management (GEM) from University of Twente-ITC in Netherlands. My research interests revolve around application of geospatial tools in natural resource management in agro-pastoral landscapes and I am also interested in spatial statistics and programming in R.

Prior to joining IITA, I worked as a GIS consultant for GFA consulting firm where he was involved in GIS training modules for IGAD. I have also served as a GIS Expert in several conservation projects in East Africa including; the Laikipia Elephant Project by University of Cambridge, Mapping spatial trends of human-elephant conflicts in Laikipia ecosystem, the Trans-boundary Environmental

Project (TEP). I also previously trained local institutions and community groups on the use of geospatial tools for mapping natural resources in rangelands. I helped establishment of Ishaqbini Community Conservancy for conservation of endangered Hirola antelope.

What do you do in your current position?

I use geo-spatial data and models to generate recommendation domains for scaling out best-bet agronomic technologies under the Africa RISING-NAFAKA scaling project. The recommendation domains are locations in the landscape with biophysical and socio-economic characteristics similar to pilot sites where particular technologies were tested. Identification of these domains is expected to improve targeting of sites for scaling out agricultural technologies. Scaling out agronomic technologies in the recommended domains is expected increase probability of success due to their similarity with the pilot sites.

What are your plans for Africa RISING –NAFAKA project (i.e. your next bit of work)?

My immediate plan is to collate relevant geospatial data relating to biophysical and socio-economic variables of the project action area. Biophysical data relates to elevation, rainfall and temperature that are largely acquired from remote sensing satellites. Socio-economic data using spatial models includes the population distribution and access to markets that are largely generated using spatial models.

What do you find unique about Africa RISING-NAFAKA partnership project?

The partnership is very unique as it fosters both research and development. The project has a multi-disciplinary team originating from local to international organizations. Despite the diversity of the team composition, they share synergies in fostering both research and development. It therefore enables scientists to come from ivory towers (laboratories and scientific journals) to the farm level where they get to work directly with the small holder farmers, on how to apply agricultural technologies.

I also find the fact that the project also focuses on improving nutrition among the small holder farming communities as a unique thing. This is because it means that the team recognize that rural farmers do not only need to increase productivity, but also improve their nutritional uptake to improve health.

What are the biggest Africa RISING-NAFAKA challenges and how do we deal with them?

In my opinion the main challenge is in adoption of technologies that are demonstrated to farmers. Current farming system in the project area is to a large extent influenced by socio-cultural norms like preference of certain crops. Cultural change takes longer than the 3 years that the project will be implemented. Despite demonstrating the potential of the planting improved crop varieties, their adoption may lag behind due to cultural norms that are confounded by poverty. Strategies for influencing farmers to adopt new crop varieties compared to local ones will evolve with time despite the potential benefits. However the project has an intuitive strategy of targeting lead farmers that can generate success stories and induce fast adoption.

Existence of the land tenure system in some of the project areas too is another challenge that can slow adoption of best-bet/best-fit technologies. This is because farmers that rent land are prohibited by the land owners in applying fertilizers on their farms. Therefore the project should also be training the land owners even if they are currently not involved in actual farming.

What are some of the main achievements of this project so far?

The main achievements include demonstrations of improved crop varieties that are high yielding and good agronomic practices and natural resource conservation measures such as water conservation in the rain-fed maize systems. Mapping of agro-ecologies suitable for growing different crop varieties and/or implementing best-bet/best fit technologies too is another significant achievement. After successful implementation of the project in 3 regions, initial plans have been initiated to expand the benefits to Iringa and Mbeya regions.

What do you most want to accomplish in your work with Africa RISING-NAFAKA scaling project?

I am aiming at developing accurate and reliable geospatial models to generate recommendation domains to guide thematic scientists locating sites with the highest probability of success if the best-bet technologies are implemented there. This will improve adoption rates that I identified as the main challenge.

Cornel Massawe, nematologist  at Tengeru Horticultural and Training Institute (HORTI Tengeru), introduces himself and his work with the Africa RISING – NAFAKA technology scaling project in Tanzania. It is one of a series of portraits of key people in Africa RISING.

Cornel Massawe (front) explains to a group of Tanzanian extension agents the nematode problem in horticultural crops

Tell us about your background?

I am Nematologist by training. I hold a PhD degree in plant nematology form University of Zimbabwe. I am Principal Agricultural Research Officer; currently work for banana program as a nematologist in the section of plant protection. Also I am officer in charge of Tengeru Horticultural and Training Institute (HORTI Tengeru), with the national mandate to undertake horticultural research and training activities.. Previously I was working at Ilonga Agricultural Research Institute based in Kilosa district, Morogoro region as a weed scientist, mainly dealing with Striga weed. I joined   Ilonga Agricultural Research Institute after completion of my studies at Ukiriguru Agriculture College in Mwanza region. 

What do you do in your current position (in context of Africa RISING-NAFAKA project)?

I am involved in the vegetable scaling team. Through the project we have introduced seed kits and established demonstration plots for superior varieties of vegetables in some villages in Babati, Kiteto and Kongwa districts. The vegetable varieties introduced are tomato, African eggplant, amaranth, African nightshade and Jute Mallow (Corchorus olitorius Var.  SUD -2). Together with the team we have also been training farmers on good agronomic practices for vegetable farming, vegetable seed reproduction, food safety and post-harvest handling of vegetables.

What are your plans for Africa RISING –NAFAKA project (i.e. your next bit of work)?

We plan to conduct trainings on market access aimed at improving group dynamics and encourage collective action by the small holder farmers we work with on input purchase, basic postharvest technologies/facilities and sale of products. We will also be implementing trainings on market assessment for easier access to market information. Women and un-employed youth are the marginalized groups in most of the agricultural communities, yet are they are the main actors in crop production activities.  The group is constrained with inadequate knowledge and skills on many aspects of crop production, pest management and post-harvest management techniques which represent a serious constraint to optimizing yield and market quality of horticulture crops.  It is envisaged that this group if imparted with skills in sustainable production, post-harvest practices and marketing will make a significant contribution to food production in the project areas we work in.

What do you find unique about Africa RISING-NAFAKA partnership project?

The synergy that exists between Africa RISING project and the NAFAKA project is quite impressive. While on the one hand Africa RISING is bringing with it outputs such as better crops, better crop management packages, improvement on household nutrition and identified natural resource management strategies; NAFAKA is providing Africa RISING with options and opportunities for learning through action research, and scaling the technologies up and out.

What are the biggest Africa RISING-NAFAKA challenges and how do we deal with them?

Yes we experience some operational challenges within the project. For example, some of the project areas where horticultural activities are the mainstay of food production are prone to flooding during the rainy season. As a project team we advise farmers to establish their plots on uphill areas, but this brings a second challenge of fetching water from the bottom valleys. Problems on group dynamics have also been noted in some of the villages due to poor governance and leadership conflict.

What are some of the main achievements of this program so far?

The project has so far facilitated the introduction of new technologies such as improved crop varieties, and teaching farmers how to apply good agronomic practices (GAP) during nursery management, soil enhancement and pest and disease control. A season- long Training of Trainers for vegetable farmers in nine villages in Manyara and Dodoma regions has been implemented by the World Vegetable Center and HORTI-Tengeru. Several new varieties of crops, including African nightshade, were introduced to participating smallholder farmers.

What do you want to accomplish most in your work with under the Africa RISING-NAFAKA scaling project?

Marginalized groups (un-employed youth, women and men) are the main actors in vegetable production in the project areas. However they are also the most constrained by inadequate knowledge and skills on many aspects of vegetable production, pest management and post-harvest management techniques. This therefore represents a serious constraint to optimizing yield and market quality of vegetables. Through this project, we hope to provide interventions that will enhance the skills of these marginalized groups in sustainable agricultural production.

What gives you hope looking at a possible scaling up in other regions through this project, based on the mother Africa RISING and NAFAKA best bet technologies?

My hope for possible scaling up in other regions is very high due to the following facts: In most areas where the project is currently working, farmers were particularly impressed by new vegetable varieties such as tomato lines bred by AVRDC and introduced under the name ‘Tengeru 2010’. People started to like the big fruits and the slightly salty taste.  Farmers have appreciated the nightshade variety ‘Nduruma’. This variety has broader leaves, is very water efficient, and has a sweet taste liked adults and even small children. ‘Nduruma’ and the broad- and narrow-leafed amaranth varieties ‘Madiira I and II’ were well-received during a cooking show and organoleptic tests conducted two weeks earlier in all nine pilot villages. Nightshade variety ‘Nduruma’ introduced by the project team impressed farmers due to the sweet taste, even children under five like to eat this leafy vegetable. In Babati and Kongwa districts, the farmers requested that the project team host another field day during the cropping season  to promote the new varieties and practices.

Farmers shelling maize at Yohana Isaya’s farm during a post-harvest training organized by the Africa RISING – NAFAKA scaling project in Ndurugumi village

For 56 year old Yohana Isaya, a farmer from Ndurungumi village in Kongwa District, central Tanzania; maize farming was always a losing game. A stressful, but extremely important subsistence venture. Damned if he did it, damned if he didn’t. For how would he feed his family?

To begin with, shelling the maize harvest from his 5-acre plot was a back breaking job which he together with his wife and their five children couldn’t do on their own. They needed the help of at least 8 extra pairs of hands to finish the job in 3 days. Isaya would then use the traditional “Kilindo”, a small cylindrical traditional bin made from peeled miombo tree barks, to store his maize to be used sparingly for feeding his family. Most of the time, nearly half the stored maize would be moldy and inedible

What he didn’t know then, was that there was a better way. That there were new and efficient postharvest technologies that could change the zero sum game that maize farming and storage had become to a winning one.

“Before joining the Africa RISING-NAFAKA-TUBORESHE CHAKULA scaling project activities and trainings, I was using a raised wood platform for shelling maize. Usually it took me up to three days to shell 700 kilograms. We sometimes had to ask for help from our neighbors whom we’d have to compensate by providing food, local brew and sometimes cash. But, after the project trained us on using simple to use and affordable machine like the motorized maize sheller, the same kind of work now takes only 30 minutes,” explain Yohana.

But it is not only the maize shelling machines that the farmers have been introduced to. The postharvest trainings have also focused on a complete package of technologies including: collapsible drier cases capable of drying 400 Kgs of maize in five hours in the sun and storage using hermetic bags. As a result, farmers have been able to reduce the amount of time spent on crop processing, reduced food losses and improved food security in their households.

The Africa RISING-NAFAKA-TUBORESHE CHAKULA scaling project aims to scale the use of postharvest technologies among 47,000 Tanzania smallholder farmers.

Farmers at Ndurungumi use PICS bag for maize storage Photo credit: Shabani Ibrahim/IITA

Recent studies in the semi-arid areas of northern and central Tanzania have shown that: 20-40% of grains and legumes are usually lost during harvesting; a further 5% is lost during shelling-even when the amount of grains shelled per day was very small due to drudgery and lack of improved shelling technologies; a further 15-25% is lost during storage.

Practices like drying crops on bare floor also often lead to contamination and storage when the moisture contents are high leading to deterioration. It is these challenges that made the project to introduce post-harvest technologies to the Tanzania farmers.

A female farmer in Sunya village located in the Manyara region holds a bundle of African nightshade harvested from the demonstration plots. African nightshade is rich in Vitamin A and micronutrients and has the potential to replace crops like Chinese cabbage in Tanzanian villages

When Omary Poputo tasted the African nightshade for the first time, he said: “I have neither seen nor tasted this vegetable before, but for sure it is definitely one of the best leafy vegetables I have ever tried.”

Omary hails from Sunya village located in Kiteto District, central Tanzania and is one among the 152 lead farmers spearheading a nutritious veggie revolution in this rural community in central Tanzania with the help of staff working on the Africa RISING – NAFAKA and TUBORESHE CHAKULA scaling project funded by USAID.

Through the project, farmers in nine villages located in Manyara and Dodoma regions of Tanzania have been introduced to Amaranth and African nightshade farming.

From the 152 initial vegetable farmers who were trained by the project as “lead farmers”; the project has had a multiplier effect and in the process attracted nearly five times the number of initial farmers in both regions to start growing Amaranth and African nightshade. Currently over 650 farmers are engaged in growing these two nutritious vegetables.

Why Amaranth and African nightshade? The two vegetables are much richer in Vitamin A and micronutrients like iron than the most wide-spread leafy vegetables in Tanzanian villages like the Chinese cabbage and Ethiopian mustard. Deficiencies of in particular Vitamin A can cause night blindness for adults and may reduce bone growth for children. Increasing the intake of Vitamin A is therefore an important objective in Africa in general and Tanzania in particular. According to UNICEF one third of children under the age of 5 are vitamin A deficient in Tanzania and conversely 130 children die every day in the country because they are malnourished.

Farmers in Sunya village harvesting the African nightshade variety ‘Nduruma’ introduced by AVRDC and HORTI-Tengeru. Local farmers appreciate especially the high drought tolerance and the sweet taste of this variety. Photo credit: Hassan Mndiga/AVRDC

For Omary, it is the sweet taste of the nightshade variety called ‘Nduruma’ that convinced him this was a good vegetable variety that could be enjoyed by all in the family; especially children under five years who require high Vitamin A intake. Farmers on the other hand appreciate the drought tolerance abilities of ‘Nduruma’.

Omary notes that: “this high drought tolerance capability coupled with the lovely taste enables ‘Nduruma’ to become a variety that might just soon replace other more popular but less nutritious vegetable varieties”.

Take a trip to Songambele village in Kongwa District of the Republic of Tanzania, you will find a beaming farmer – Amri Simon. He has just recently harvested and sold tomatoes (harvested from his home garden plot) and made a cool revenue of TShs 450,000. This includes a good profit margin, one that Simon believes he will even better in the next coming season.

But it wasn’t always like this. After several years previously growing tomatoes, the highest revenue Simon had ever made with tomatoes from his  home garden plot was TShs 300,000. And even this was only when he was lucky enough to go through a planting season without his garden plots getting attacked by pests and diseases.

Farmers in the demonstration plots observing the new tomato variety.

Like the name of his village Songambele which in Kiswahili literally means “moving forward”, Simon has decided to move his farming to the next level by adopting the new tomato variety Tengeru 2010 coupled with newer and better agronomic practices.

Through the Africa RISING-NAFAKA-TUBORESHE CHAKULA scaling project funded by USAID, smallholder farmers in Tanzania like Simon are being empowered with new technologies such as improved tomato varieties and trainings on good agronomic practices (GAP) during nursery management, soil enhancement and pest and disease control.

“I learnt a lot during the training, for example how to identify certain pests and diseases in order to address them at an early stage or how to apply the right spacing,” explains Simon.

“However, the most important thing I did was the introduction of Tengeru 2010 as a new tomato variety on my farm. I am now able to harvest thirty (20 liter) buckets of tomatoes instead of just twenty buckets, which I used to get previously from the same area. Since I can sell each bucket for TShs 15,000, my revenue increased by TShs 150, 000,” he adds.

Amri Simon (in the middle) increased his revenue from tomatoes by 50% due to cultivating ‘Tengeru 2010’

Simon’s confidence in the commercial potential of the new tomato variety is buoyed by the fact that demand for Tengeru 2010 in the fresh local markets close to his village is on the rise. In fact the demand is higher than the supply at the moment.

“People really like the big fruits and the slightly salty taste of this variety,” he explains.

The project team has encouraged the trainees to promote this variety as it has properties which the processing-type varieties do not have. The thicker shelf and a slightly salty taste make Tengeru 2010 a preferred crop for raw consumption, for example in salads.

These properties have even convinced private seed companies to start producing Tengeru 2010 seeds as a measure to respond to the demand by farmers early. Thankfully this development will also help address the challenge of access to seeds which remains as a significant hindrance to a majority of small holder farmers in Tanzania.

The International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) has released household and community data from five project countries through the Africa RISING Baseline Evaluation Survey (ARBES).

The surveys collect detailed information on factors that could affect or be affected by agricultural production, such as household composition, agricultural and non-agricultural employment, health, income and expenditures, credit, assets, subjective welfare and food security, shocks, and children and women’s anthropometry.

Read the blogpost and see the data

Download the baseline reports for:

• Ghana
• Malawi
• Mali
• Tanzania

See more Africa RISING data