FEED THE FUTURE TANZANIA MBOGA NA MATUNDA Ngereka Farmers Group lead the way after farming skills training The group has received approval In the district of Busokelo in Mbeya, a group of 15 farmers are taking advantage of Feed the Future Tanzania–Mboga na Matunda activity (FTFT-MnM)-led training courses to for a loan of $4,550 from the expand their farming business. So far, the group has successfully produced tomato crops ECLOF-Tanzania, a FTFT-MnM on their one-acre demonstration plots, which earned them $9,208 from an investment partner. of $1,570. The Ngereka Farmers Group, located in the Ngereka village near the Livingstone mountain range, is one of the many farmers groups in the Mbeya administrative region that regularly receives technical facilitation and support geared to turn their farming activities into a functional farming business. “Eager to learn, we participated in this project and received training in particular areas such as good agricultural practices (GAPs), ready access to credit, as well as marketing and access to agro-inputs,” the group secretary, Furaha Mwakemwa, said. “The results have been promising, which encourages us to keep throwing the dice!” Before beginning the project in the area, agricultural productivity was very poor, with farmers producing just enough for household consumption. On very few occasions, the farmers would produce around 3 to 4 tons per acre, which they sold for up to $1300 for basic needs, such as for their children’s education and healthcare. The poor farm productivity was mainly attributed to lack of knowledge and skills applied in successful farming practices. Photo by Fintrac Inc. However, through FTFT-MnM interventions, farmers were introduced to new farming Women vendors from nearby towns and methods, good agricultural practices and technologies. Along with these skills, farmers villages in Busokelo sorting and grading learned how to manage farming as a functional business. This training covered business harvested tomatoes from Ngereka planning component and access to finance and credit farmers group plot. After farmers put these skills into practice, between March and May 2018, they harvested 25 tons of tomatoes traded at the farm gate for between $14-18 per crate. “The product is of a decent quality, with a relatively longer shelf life compared to other types of tomatoes we used to buy,” revealed Esther Thomas, a tomato vendor from ““…Eager to learn, we Ngeka village who had bought from the group two times. participated in this project and received training in particular Nearby towns and villages that are located close to the Malawi-Tanzania border feel the impact from the work of the Ngereka Farmers Group, where vendors from Busokelo areas such as good agricultural market their produce, said Ntuli Bhuja, a vendor from Matema Beach. practices (GAPs)…” Today, the farmers group has used the money earned to purchase five acres of land. Furaha Mwakemwa, Three acres of the land have already been tilled for the next planting season, when the Secretary of Ngereka farmers plan to cultivate tomatoes and watermelons. The group has already received approval for a loan of $4,550 from the Ecumenical Church Loan Fund Tanzania Ltd (ECLOF-Tanzania) – a FTFT-MnM partner – to expand their farming business to improve the farmers’ livelihood. Part of the loan will be used to purchase and install new drip-irrigation kits and lay a 1.5 kilometer-long water pipeline from a nearby water source to the newly bought five acres of farmland. FTFT-MnM has been working in Mbeya Region since July 2017. As of August 2018, the Activity works with a total of 2,015 beneficiaries in the region. .