Project Name
Location
Project Objective:
Agenda:
Developing the Beans value chain
Systemic Constraints:
The project is working to address constraints including:
- Unavailability of improved bean seeds for smallholder farmers to increase productivity.
- Smallholder bean farmers do not have access to input credit or finance.
- Soil retrogression and degradation.
- Smallholder bean farmers have inadequate business skills.
- Farmers sell beans as grain without adding value as they have inadequate knowledge and skills for value addition on bean grain.
- Climate change vulnerability.
Proposed Interventions:
AMDT and BRITEN signed the half a billion Tsh deal to develop market systems in the Beans subsector in southern regions of Ruvuma and Njombe. This will include improvement of access to improved seeds, access to finance, rural advisory services and value addition in beans sector. Building Rural Income Through Entrepreneurship (BRITEN) has worked before in agricultural development initiatives in the Maize sector.
Interventions:
Working with private sector actors to enhance the increased availability of improved seeds to smallholder men, women, and youth farmers. This is achieved through the production of qualified declared seeds (QDS) and the channelling of improved bean seeds to smallholder farmers (SHFs) through a rural stockist supply system. Further, work with service providers to scan demand for marketable bean varieties, build the capacity of SHFs to negotiate & trade, facilitate access to lucrative markets, value addition for bean products as well as increased access to financial services for smallholder women, men, and youth farmers.
To combat the effects of climate change, the BEEP further facilitates increased access to Climate Smart Agricultural (CSA) technologies and practices for smallholder women, youth, and men farmers. To achieve this goal, Conservation Farming Unit, a service provider partner organisation trains SHFs through demonstration plots and farmer-to-farmer knowledge transfer approaches on how to apply these skills set on their farms for increased production and productivity.
Expected Changes/Improvements
- 120 Women Farmer Groups trained on QDS production of three marketable bean varieties and are linked with 600 SHFs.
- 10,000 SHFs trained on Good Agronomic Practices (GAPs) for bean production and Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), and 40% of these are applying the skills in bean farming.
- 600 farmers linked with financial institutions.
- 7000 farmers trained in business skills for group development where 30% are capable to analyse the gross margin of the seed varieties to be produced.
- 2000 youth and 15 village-based agents (VBAs) trained to provide extension services to fellow farmers.
- Aggregation models developed and 60 Farmer Organizations are using them to sell their common bean profitably and increase collective action for their members.
- 300 Women & Youth trained on value addition of common beans and 50% of trained farmers start to apply the knowledge of value addition.
- 1200 farmers sign supply contracts with off-takers.
Key Activities
- Facilitate actors to work with 120 SHFs to produce and market bean QDS at their localities
- Training ToTs on Business skills and support them to cascade the skills to FOs
- Set up demonstration plots to practically demonstrate GAPS & CSA practices and technology
- Mobilize, sensitize FO’s and scan and establish actual demand patterns per variety and off taker
Potential Core Partner
A: Local Government partners: Regional Authorities of Njombe and Ruvuma regions and Local Government Authorities of Ludewa, Wangingo’mbe and Madaba
B: Private sector actors
C: Service providers
Value Chain focus
Common beans
Number of targeted Beneficiaries
10,000 individual Smallholder farmers (50% females and 20% youth, out of this 50% ).