Under the Transforming Tanzania's Vegetable Markets initiative, a projected 8,450 Tanzanian farmers, 60% of whom are youth, are set to receive a significant boost in their economic opportunities. This initiative, spearheaded by East-West Seed Knowledge Transfer (EWS-KT) as part of the Kilimo Tija project, aims to enhance farmers' production and marketing skills and improve their access to market information, thereby enabling greater market participation.
Stuart Morris, EWS-KT Director, emphasized the importance of this collaboration with Kilimo Tija, stating, "We welcome this opportunity to work with Kilimo Tija to accelerate the adoption of improved vegetable farming methods in Tanzania and contribute to a more vibrant vegetable sector in the country. The future of agriculture lies with young people, and our work under Kilimo Tija will enable youth to clearly see the business possibilities in vegetable farming and ensure they have the tools to reach their goals."
The initiative is a partnership between EWS-KT through East-West Seed Tanzania and the Feed the Future Tanzania Kilimo Tija (Horticulture Productivity) Project, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The Kilimo Tija project, implemented by ACDI/VOCA, operates in the Iringa, Mbeya, Morogoro, and Njombe regions, as well as Zanzibar, with the objective of transforming the Tanzanian horticulture market into a more vibrant, competitive, resilient, and inclusive one.
Despite the potential for vegetable farming to provide a ready income, especially for the youth, challenges such as low yields, lack of access to quality agricultural inputs, and inadequate knowledge on improved production practices persist. EWS-KT, through East-West Seed Tanzania, has been addressing these issues since 2019 by increasing farmers' access to quality seeds and introducing effective vegetable cultivation techniques through demonstration fields.
The training provided by EWS-KT will cover farm planning, marketing, and climate-smart technical skills, from land preparation to harvest. Additionally, farmers will be encouraged to explore other income-generating activities within the vegetable sector to build employment opportunities beyond direct vegetable production.
Together, Kilimo Tija and EWS-KT aim to improve the livelihoods of Tanzanian farmers, invigorate the vegetable farming sector, and increase the supply of nutritious vegetables for consumers.
Source: Farmers Review Africa