Year: January 2021 – December 2022
Country/Area: Tanzania -Southern Highlands
Client: King Baudouin Foundation
Description:
Kilimo Trust in collaboration with Guavay Company Ltd is implementing scaling-up organic fertilizer production for sustainable avocado agriculture project in Njombe and Mbeya regions.The project is funded by the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD) of the Belgian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and implemented jointly with the King Baudouin Foundation (KBF). In the project implementation, Guavay Company Ltd. (“GCL”, for-profit, fertilizer production) is a lead partner while Kilimo Trust (“KT”, non-profit, smallholder farmer development) is a project partner.
The goal of the project is “To scale up the annual production of organic fertilizer to 1,500 MT and distribution to 25 SME agro-dealers while creating 90 jobs and linking 1,688 smallholder farmers in Njombe and Mbeya region (of which 40% women) to local market opportunities (short term goals) thereby improving their productivity (yield increase of 50%, reduced post-harvest losses of 30% and income (increase of 50% (medium-term goals) jointly contributing to strengthening and positioning the avocado value chain in the Southern Highlands as a local hub of sustainably produced avocados”.
The main objective of the project is to scale up production of organic fertilizer production to meet local demand for fertilizers while in parallel contribute to improving the socio-economic conditions of avocado farmers
Specifically, the project interventions include:
- Scale-up the annual production of organic fertilizer by Guavay Company to 1,500 MT per year.
- Create organic fertilizer market with at least 25 SME agro-dealers while creating 90 formal jobs.
- Build capacity on Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) and create organic fertilizer market to at least 1,688 smallholder avocado farmers in Njombe and Mbeya region (of which 40% are women).
In this partnership, Kilimo Trust is responsible for the following activities:
- Conducting baseline survey for the project and publish the report.
- Conducting Training of Trainers for lead farmers, Agro-dealers’ staff and extension officers on avocado Good.
- Agricultural Practice (GAP), Good Post Harvest Management (GPHH), and Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
- Establishment of demonstration sites (e.g., responsible input application).
- Conducting business development for FBOs including trainings on entrepreneurship, avocado market, and price information.
- Creating market linkages between avocado buyers and farmers.
- Creating linkages between Guavay, Agro-dealers (distributors) and farmers for the procurement of organic fertilizer.
- Conducting regular monitoring field visits on project progress.
- Monitoring, evaluation and reporting on technical results on the project.
Achievements:
- Establishment of demo plots.
- Training farmers on GAP, GPHH, IPM, ISFM done by extension officers.
- Prepared and printed Hakika Organic Fertilizer signposts. Î Printing avocado cropping calendars and manuals.
