Newsletter

Perspectives on MATF

< MATF activities in pictures

< Updates 2006

< Forthcoming events in 2006

June 2006 Issue 4 MORE NEWS, MORE REVIEWS

4MATF at the 2006 Eldoret ASK Show

4Round 1 Extension Projects

4An Overview of Selected Round 4 Projects

MAENDELEO AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY FUND

African Indigenous Vegetables

Spotlight on AVRDC

June 2006

Editorial

From the Fund Manager

The newsletter also takes a close look at a few projects from the Round 4 selections, which commenced in mid 2005. One of these projects is the promotion, production, utilisation and marketing of Oyster mushroom in Hai district, Tanzania. The technology has been taken up very well among women groups and individual farmers, who are selling fresh and dried mushrooms in Arusha and have plans to extend this to Dar es Salaam.

In this edition is a project spotlight on the collaboration between AVRDC and Family Concern in transforming the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Tanzania and Kenya, by enabling them to benefit from production and sale of African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) to supermarkets. Read on and learn how two of the beneficiary vegetable farmers have seen their produce fetch higher sales by penetrating formal markets in the urban centres.

With colourful pictorials, the newsletter captures various activities from the field, illustrating the diverse agricultural technologies being promoted. For the first time also, this edition offers readers a glimpse of the MATF team through the staff profile page.

MATF certainly remains unique as a pioneer in funding agricultural technology transfer in the region. Its experience over the last 4 years in East Africa makes a compelling case for increased investment in agriculture, especially in the field of technology modernisation and dissemination. Through support from Kilimo Trust and the Rockefeller Foundation, the impact of MATF’s intervention in this area is already bearing fruit in terms of increased productivity and quality, which has translated into improved incomes and food security for many small-scale farmers.

Feel free to share your views and comments on the content and quality of our newsletter with us. For more information on MATF and its activities, visit our website at: www.maendeleo-atf.org

Lydia N Kimenye PhD Fund Manager

2 MATF Newsletter

The Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund (MATF)

is a regional initiative established in 2002 with joint funding from

the Rockefeller Foundation and

the Gatsby Charitable Foundation (UK) - supporting

through Kilimo Trust since 2005. Its managed by the

Food and Agricultural Research Management (FARM) Africa.

MATF aims to improve

the livelihoods of farming communities in

East Africa by identifying and

facilitating innovative ways of technology transfer, adoption

and improved productivity

through competitive grants.

The MATF Team

Fund ManagerLYDIA N KIMENYE (PHD)

Project Officer MONICAH NYANG’

Monitoring Officer CHRIS WEBO

Communication and Documentation Officer DANCAN MUHINDI

Finance JOSEPH KINYANJUI

AdministrationFATUMA BUKE

Design and Layout DANCAN MUHINDI

Offices Studio House, 4th Floor

Argwings Kodhek Road, HurlinghamP.O. Box 49502 - 00100 GPO Nairobi, Kenya

Tel: +254 20 2731664/2044/2203 Fax: +254 20 2732086 Email: info@maendeleo-atf.org

Web: www.maendeleo-atf.org | www.farmafrica.org.uk

© FARM-Africa 2006

MATF IS MANAGED BY

MAENDELEO AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY FUND

T he Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund (MATF) has since its inception in 2002,

been at the fore-front of facilitating technology dissemination in the East African region. It has become a crucial link between various institutions targeting smallholder farmers, especially in moving innovative technologies from research institutions to the farmer’s fields.

MATF has witnessed consistent demand for its support over the last few years with the number of funded projects by August 2005 rising to 51. Most of the projects have adopted various approaches of working with beneficiary farmer groups in ensuring maximum usage and exploitation of innovative technologies. This has been mostly through the provision of inputs, access to credit, equipment and imparting knowledge and skills necessary for successful implementation.

MATF also goes beyond funding technology transfer to identifying remarkably good and novel technologies and dissemination methods, which it then documents and shares to stakeholders through various channels such as the annual experience sharing workshops for grantees, published reports, exhibitions and its web site. This fourth newsletter continues this vital process of ensuring that MATF experiences are shared as widely as possible to other stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

MATF started off the year by exhibiting two of its projects at the March 2006 Eldoret Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) show. The experiences and lessons from this show are captured in this edition.

4

4 MATF at the 2006 Eldoret ASK Show

The Eldoret Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) Show 2006, took place from the 8th to 11th March 2006. This was the first show this year in the ASK calendar. MATF managed to set up a FARM-Africa tent which show cased two of its funded projects from round 3. Read more about this Show and its importance as an effective MATF dissemination vehicle.

6 Round 1 extension projects Several projects from Round 1 and 2 have earned an extension phase to enable them consolidate the impact activities through moving onto value adding and developing stronger market linkages. Read more about them.

8 MATF in pictures More round 3 and 4 projects highlighted and a page profile of MATF staff members.

10 An overview of selected round 4 projects 16 new projects were selected in round 4, bringing the number of MATF projects to 51. In this edition, we continue our coverage of these ongoing projects. Read more on some of the exciting and interesting technologies from this selection.

12 Project spotlight: AVRDC Read how the World Vegetable Centre (AVRDC) has been promoting the

increased production, consumption and marketing of African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) in Kenya and Tanzania, contributing to improved incomes and overall livelihoods of many rural smallholder farmers in the two countries.

14 Updates

< Evaluation of Round 3 projects < 3rd Grant Holders’ Experience-sharing workshop < Documentation & dissemination of best practices drawn from Round 1 and 2 projects < Proposal development for future MATF and Round 5 Forthcoming events

< MATF participation in East Africa Agricultural Shows

6 10

8 12

June 2006 3

Contents : Issue 4

4 MATF Newsletter

MATF AT THE

ELDORET ASK SHOW

Introduction The Eldoret Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) Show 2006, took place from the 8th to 11th March 2006. This was the first show this year in the ASK calendar. MATF managed to set up a FARM-Africa tent which show cased two of it’s funded projects from round 3. These were the beekeeping project in Bomet district implemented by the Kenya Rural Enterprise Programme (K-REP) and a project in Western Kenya implemented by a Kisumu based NGO, Africa Now, on working with the rural private sector to promote a diversity of agricultural technologies. President Mwai Kibaki officially opened the show on 9th March 2006. Tent visitors

The FARM-Africa tent attracted numerous visitors from various agricultural sectors ranging from rural small scale farmers, mostly from around Eldoret, and high ranking officials from both NGOs and Government affiliated agencies, some of which were also exhibiting. Others were students from the nearby Moi University, Eldoret Polytechnic and local high schools. The show provided an excellent forum to interact directly with these

groups while sharing vital lessons and experiences, not only from the displayed projects, but also from the diverse portfolio of 50 funded MATF projects across East Africa. The representatives of the projects included a farmer beneficiary from Bomet, Mr. Joseph Ng’eno, a K-REP official Mr. Phillip Kenduyo and Mr. Caleb Adede from Africa Now . They did an excellent job of disseminating information to the tent visitors, by answering questions and generally sharing about the technologies and how they were implemented through leaflets and booklets.

Langstroth beehive technology Amongst the items on display was a Langstroth beehive and its affiliated equipment such as protective clothing, a smoker and the honey extractor known as the centrifuge machine. These belonged to Mr. Joseph Ng’eno, who had benefited from the micro-leasing scheme implemented by K-REP with support from MATF. The proud owner of 50 Langstroth beehives at his farm, demonstrated passionately to keen visitors how the innovative beekeeping technology works, from colonisation of the hives, to the extraction of the honey using the

The FARM-Africa tent attracted numerous visitors

from various agricultural sectors ranging from rural small scale farmers, mostly from around

Eldoret, and high ranking officials from both NGOs and Government affiliated agencies,

some of which were also exhibiting.

June 2006 5

The Eldoret Agricultural Show

centrifuge machine. He explained that with good management and care of the hives, a farmer might harvest up to 15kg of honey per hive every 2 months. Each kilo was normally sold between 100 and 150 shillings, depending on the market. The beekeeping activity certainly elicited a lot of interest as the show went on, with many farmers indicating a desire to take up the activity on their farms. Mr. Phillip Kenduyo explained how this could be done in great detail, handing out leaflets on the technology to illustrate successful tested methodologies of the activity.

Most farmers, though keen on taking up the beekeeping activity, voiced their discouragement with the cost of the Langstroth beehive and the centrifuge machine, with many saying that the prices were beyond their reach. As Mr. Chelimo, an Eldoret farmer put it, “I appreciate that the Langstroth technology is much better than the Kenya top-bar beekeeping technology we’ve been used to, but unfortunately, at 4500 shillings, it’s just too expensive. The extractor itself is valued at 150,000 shillings, making the whole venture very costly.” Mr. Phillip Kenduyo of K-REP however explained that with a micro-leasing scheme similar to the one they had in Bomet, farmers could be leased the beehives at affordable monthly re-payment rates while deriving income from the sale of honey.

K-REP had linked the farmers to Honey Care limited who not only supplied the beehives, but also bought the honey from the farmers. He elaborated that K-REP was encouraging farmers to pool resources together as a group, in order to purchase locally made centrifuge machines, which could be bought in Nairobi at 20,000 shillings. “In fact the centrifuge machine on display here was bought at that price in Nairobi”, he further explained.

Promoting rural technologies Africa Now exhibited a wide range of printed materials on various technologies it had promoted in the rural areas around Kisumu, Siaya, Vihiga and Kakamega districts. Under their Promotion Of Rural Technologies scheme (PORT) these projects range from the growing of Pineapples in

Siaya, drip irrigation, improving poultry production, avocadoes, improved maize varieties, beekeeping, dairy goats in Vihiga and working with private agro-vet stores in disseminating vital information to farmers in Siaya. Mr. Caleb Adede enumerated the work of Africa Now in the western part of Kenya over the last few years to visitors at the show stand. He fielded lots of enquiries, especially from farmers interested in the rearing of dairy goats. He explained how they could purchase improved crossbred kids from their station in Kibos, Kisumu, which had been established to make it easier for farmers in western Kenya to access the toggenburg variety of goats.

Show reflections As the show came to a close on Saturday 11th March 2006, we took stock of the benefits the show forum had given the two projects and MATF. We were all in agreement regarding the exhibition as a powerful medium of dissemination. Going by the number of visitors we recorded in our visitors book (Over 100), the range of enquiries and interest shown by many rural farmers, we concluded that our participation at the Eldoret ASK Show had been worth the effort we had all put in. Our vantage position, near the livestock sheds helped attract lots of visitors to the MATF tent. We were also surrounded by several agri-businesses which were targeting farmers with their products. These factors contributed a great deal to the diverse visitors we received at the exhibition tent. Mr. Ng’eno, the Bomet beekeeper captured it all by saying, “ we appreciate the opportunity presented to us by FARM-Africa, to share our personal experiences with other farmers, with an aim of improving their livelihoods through agricultural technologies they may not have heard about. Students also benefited by learning first hand how some new agricultural technologies were being adopted and practised by farmers.”

Mr. Joseph Ng’eno, a farmer from Bomet district, demonstrating how the honey is extracted using the Centrifuge machine, as students from Lugulu Girls High School keenly watch.

Mr. Caleb Adede of Africa Now, explains to a farmer the contents of a poultry farming booklet.

To view more images of the 2006 Eldoret Show, visit the MATF web site; www.maendeleo-atf.org

6 MATF Newsletter

Smallholder Marketing of Orange-Fleshed Sweet Potato in Rangwe Division, Homabay District. Project background

This is a one year extension of the project established in 2002 by CMAD, under the first selection of MATF grantees. The purpose of the project was to improve nutritional status and family incomes through promotion of improved pro-vitamin A sweet potato varieties in Rangwe, Homa Bay district. Alternative ways of utilization were also developed including processing and production of novel products such as fortified flour, bakery products and weaning foods. The smallholder marketing of orange-fleshed sweet potato project (extension phase) was initiated to respond to the marketing needs of sweet potato farmers whose fresh produce was going

Round 1

Extension Projects

CMAD Community Mobilization Against Desertification

Several projects from Round 1 and 2 have

earned an extension phase to enable them consolidate

the impact activities through moving onto

value adding and developing stronger market linkages.

Read more on two of them from Round 1.

into waste due to lack of appropriate knowledge on post harvest handling and viable options for value addition and lack of markets for fresh tubers. The one-year extension project started in August 2005 to address these issues. Project Objectives.

The project has two specific objectives namely:

1. To create a self sustaining community based marketing organization for orange fleshed sweet potato varieties in Rangwe division of Homabay district by the year 2006 2. To increase marketing opportunities for orange fleshed sweet potato products in Rangwe division by end of the year 2006. Partnerships A consortium of partners are implementing the project. These are: < Research organizations - mandated to generate technologies;

A farmer in Rangwe division, Homabay district of Kenya, harvesting orange fleshed sweet patato vines from a rapid multiplication plot. She’ll use the vines to expand her own commercial plot.

Group Networking Two distinct groups have emerged that will have synergies in their operations to enhance smallholder marketing of orange fleshed sweet potato products. The two groups are Achune and Kinda. Achune is basically a producer group with adequate capacity to generate planting materials and also to plant large areas of land with the orange-fleshed sweet potato. Kinda group has a functional bakery and is currently producing a wide range of value added products, has a limited capacity to produce adequate quantities of fresh tubers required for its operations. The two have evolved a complimentary relationship which has stimulated internal trade and networking between the groups.

Sustaining the dairy goat technology among Vihiga farming communities. Project background The Christian Partners Development Association (CPDA), a local NGO began implementation of the dairy goat project in September 2002. The project, selected in the first round of MATF grantees, combines up-grading of local goats for increased milk production and the use of goat manure to improve soil fertility for vegetable production. The technology of dairy goats is particularly relevant in Vihiga district where population pressure is very high and farm sizes are extremely small and can’t accomodate dairy cattle raring. The one year extension phase of the project began in August 2005, without the gardening component. It was found necessary to focus on one technology, the dairy goat, so as to maximize effort

June 2006 7

Round 1 Extension Projects

< Development organizations disseminate the technologies; and, < Government agencies play a regulatory role. There are also agencies specialised in marketing of agricultural commodities in this partnership to ensure a sustainable link between farmers and the markets. The partners are as follows:< C-MAD – the lead agency;< The Ministry of Health;< Ministry of Agriculture;< Africa Now;< Gatsby Trust; < Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI);< Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI); and,< Kenya Agricultural Commodities Exchange (KACE) Project approaches and achievements

< Training farmers on small enterprise management. To continue when chipping centers, mill and bakery are fully operational.< Product formula and manual development - were used during the training on sweet potatoes product development.< Market studies and product promotion/customisation The data will inform decision-making on which product are to be taken to the market and at what price. < Training on improved storage. Participants were trained on proper storage for fresh tubers and processed products to increase their shelf life.< Training artisans on fabrication of equipment. The participants were drawn from Achune and Kinda women groups who will be involved in mechanized chipping and drying of sweet potato as part of their processing activities. Four of the participants were practising artisans with operational workshops within the project area. < Training on post-harvest handling and quality assurance. Food technologists from KARI and FCI were the lead facilitators in the workshops. < Bar coding and product analysis. Six bar-codes have been assigned to Kinda Women group. These are for products such as loaf, sweet potato flour and cookies. < Training farmers and entrepreneurs on sweet potato based processed products.

CPDA Christian Partners Development Agency

and optimize on the initial outputs from the technology. KARI Kakamega together with the Dairy Goat Association of Kenya were brought on board as partners. Others are ICRAF (International Centre for Research and Agro-forestry) and Ministry of Livestock. Project Objectives

< To establish six multiplication centers in order to hasten the spread of the dairy goat technology as well as ensuring the availability of replacement stock by the end of the year 2006.< To build the capacity of project beneficiaries through training in animal health, feeding, housing and marketing by the end of the year 2006.< To build further the capacity of Community Animal Health Workers and to create a linkage with the formal veterinary system by the end of the year 2006.< To create an effective sustainability component in the project through facilitating the formation of a farmer association by the end of the year 2006. Expected results

< Have a sustainable dairy goat multiplication programme;< Enhanced level of management practices among local dairy goat farmers;< Improvement of the animal health component of the project; and,< Estalishement of a dairy goat farmers’ Association The project is using the Alpine variety as breeding stock for multiplication purposes. Sourcing for 100% pure Toggenburg goats had been done but this was not fruitful due to scarcity and high pricing. Its expected that with successful implementation of the project, nutritional deficiencies like vitamin A will be greatly reduced in Vihiga, due to the high nutritional value of goat milk. High demand for dairy goats will present local farmers with a good opportunity to raise household income. To ensure this works well, good management of the multiplication programme will be necessary.

A farmer in Rangwe division, Homabay district of Kenya, harvesting orange fleshed sweet patato vines from a rapid multiplication plot. She’ll use the vines to expand her own commercial plot.

8 MATF Newsletter

MATF In Action

This is a close up of strings tied across the fish ponds to protect the fish from bird predators (notice the same on the extreme left of the larger Luweero fish pond photograph).

MATF’s Administrative officer Fatume Buke admires growing Oyster Mushrooms inside a shed owned by the Nshara Uyoga group in Hai District, Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania, during a field visit. The Nshara group, started in July 2005, is one of the groups in the district that has benefited from the Horti-Tengeru led Oyster Mushrooms cultivation project.

Eng. Kaima Meya, MATF Advisory Panel member (extreme right) is shown a new fish pond by members of a farmers group in Luweero district, Uganda. This is a Round 4 project on the introduction and promotion of fish farming and is implemented by Caritas Kasanaensis, a church-based NGO.

Joseph Wekunda (left), MATF Advisory Panel member, listens keenly to a presentation on the Metal Silos technology by a trained “tin-smith” in Kitui district. This is a Round 4 project promoted by the Catholic Releif Services (CRS) in Eastern Kenya. Targeting women groups, it aims to improve food security through the preservation of grains. Boarding schools, which buy grains in bulk are also interested in taking up the technology.

MATF’s Project officer Monicah Nyang’ (right) receives a packet of processed Gari from a farmer in Lira, Uganda. The Gari process-ing technology is one of the completed Round 3 projects, and its implemented by the Mid North Private Sector Development Company Ltd. Looking on is the company’s CEO and project coordinator, Mr. Ferdinand Olang.

June 2006 9

MATF Staff Profiles

TRANSITION

A Tribute to Barnabas Rakaringa, MATF Driver (b. 1945 - d. 15th May, 2006) The MATF team recently lost one of its most hardworking and reliable member, Barnabas, after a short illness. He had worked with MATF since 2003, having joined FARM-Africa from ETC-EA. He loved his work very much; driving the team members long distances to the various MATF funded projects, hardly showing signs of fatigue. He was also a consistent time keeper, arriving early for work to ensure the MATF vehicle was clean and ready for any field trip. A smart, cheerful and remarkably humble person, Barnabas demonstrated severally that despite his older age in comparison to other team members, he related to each of them respectfully. Fully committed to his work, he went beyond his official duties on many occassions, in order to meet the challenges of his job. This disposition to work and people extended beyond FARM-Africa to the MATF grantees and their partners. We shall all miss him. May he rest in peace.

Dr. Lydia N. Kimenye Fund Manager Lydia has been with MATF since its inception in 2002. Together with an advisory panel of agricultural development experts from the region and from FARM-UK, she played a key role in the design and establishment of MATF. She works closely with the AP members to provide the strategic direction of MATF and selection of the projects to be funded. She also oversees fund disbursment, monitoring and evaluation, lessons and overall linkages between the fund, grantees and stakeholders. Prior to joining MATF, Lydia was a senior lecturer at the department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nairobi, where she was involved in research and training. Joseph Kinyanjui Finance Joseph is responsible for MATF finance and accounts, handling the budget and the financial reports from grantees and to donors. A Certified Public Accountant with over 10 years experience, he started his career as an accounts and administrative assistant in ICROSS (International Committee for the Relief of Starvation and Suffering), and thereafter worked in different organisations before joining MATF. Fatuma Buke Administration Fatuma has been with MATF since 2003. She’s in charge of the overall administrative, logistical and secretarial requirements of the MATF programme. Starting her career with the German Technical Co-operation (GTZ), she worked with various NGOs before joining MATF from the CORD AID Regional Office in Nairobi. Dancan MuhindiCommunication and Documentation Officer Dancan joined MATF in 2005 and is charged with the management of the MATF website, compiling documentation for print media production and publicising MATF work. He worked for the Nation Media Group as a Graphic designer and later as a Web developer before joining the MATF team. Dancan holds a B.A in Design degree from the University of Nairobi. Monicah Nyang’ Project Officer Monicah joined MATF in 2003 as a Project Officer in charge of monitoring and evaluating projects in the East African Region. Prior to that, she worked with Juanco SPS, an agro-chemical company as a Technical Services Officer. She has a wealth of experience in the NGO sector and Government (Ministry of Agriculture). She’s currently pursuing an M.A. Sociology in rural and community development Chris Webo Monitoring Officer Chris joined MATF in April 2005 as a Monitoring officer, in charge of monitoring and evaluating projects in Kenya (Eastern & Coast region) and Tanzania. He worked with various NGO’s before joining MATF from the German Agro Action (DWHH/GAA), where he was a Program Manager. He’s currently pursuing a post-graduate diploma in Project Management at the Kenya Institute of Management (KIM).

10 MATF Newsletter

Overview of selected

Round 4 Projects

Horti-Tengeru: Oyster Mushrooms cultivation in Tanzania Transfer of Oyster mushrooms cultivation Technology in Hai District, Kilimanjaro Region, for nutrition, food security and poverty alleviation. Started in May 2005, the lead implementer of the project is the Mushrooms Research Institute, Tengeru, Ministry of Agriculture (Horti-Tengeru). Its partners are as follows: < Hai District Council; < TIRDO, (Tanzania Industrial Research Development Organisation);< Sokoine University of Agriculture;< University of Dar es Salaam;< Hai Community Based Agricultural Extension (HACOBAE); < Promoters of Appropriate Technologies and Environmental Care ( PATE Care ); < Arusha Women Mushrooms Group (AWOMUG); and, < World vision (T)- ADP. The technology The technology is about the production and promotion of Oyster Mushrooms (a rich protein source) using crop residues as substrates eg. rice straws, banana leaves and maize husks.

These substrates are pateurised using steam and then mixed with the mushroom spawn (growing seed). The mixture is put inside plastic bags, which inturn are placed in dark and humid shed houses for the mushrooms to grow. The production cycle takes 6-12 weeks. Project methodologies The project implementers first set out to conduct sensitisation meetings to create awareness on the importance of mushrooms to communities. A baseline survey was conducted in five wards to gather information on current enterprises, incomes, indigenous knowledge on mushrooms, consumption, processing, production technologies, markets and constraints. It was found that most members of the target communities had local knowledege of edible mushrooms. Most were also consuming them although they did not have the necessary information on mushroom production. Project activities The following activities were conducted at the start of the project:

Janet Orono, the treasurer of Nshara Mushroom group (Machane central ward) inside the mushroom production shed run by the group. She’s also a trainer of trainers (TOT).

Mushroom products: dried and pickled varieties.

A delicious bowl of mushroom stew.

< Selection of 13 participating farmer groups, from 5 wards; < Capacity building of Extension workers and CBOs/Farmers’ groups on mushroom production technologies through demo farms and trainers of trainers courses;< Farmers study tours - The farmers visited the Horticultural Research Institute where they saw how mushroom seed is produced; < Monitoring and evaluation was carried out to review progress on the construction of the mushroom growing structures. AchievementsThe project has achieved the following since inception:< Training farmer groups on Market research and linkages; A five-day course on marketing skills for farmers was conducted in September 2005 at Hai district offices. 26 farmers and 4 extensionists attended the course. < The farmers groups have secured a big outlet at Shop Rite supermarket in Arusha. The supermarket has a buying demand of 30 Kg of fresh mushrooms every week. Other smaller outlets include tourist hotels in Arusha and Moshi. Plans are also being made to sell in Dar es Salaam.< Training of 9 farmer groups on mushroom recipes, processing, preservation and packaging of Oyster mushrooms. 134 farmers participated in the training; and, < Increased household consumption of mushrooms in the district.

ARI-Uyole: Improving labour productivity in Tanzania Improving labour productivity through animal traction weeding and ripping technology in Njombe and Sumbawanga districts. Project background Smallholder crop production in Sumbawanga and Njombe districts is seriously constrained by draught-related, soil moisture stress and labour time for planting and weeding. The problem is felt more by farmers who plough large areas using Draught Animal Power (DAP). They have no access to ox rippers/planters and they therefore depend on the hand hoe for weeding. Hand hoe weeding restricts cultivated farm sizes per household to 2 instead of a potential 7.5 hectares. The technology Research from ARI-Uyole in 2003 showed that timely planting and weeding, increased crop acreage and production, are possible through the use of the Ox ripper and Ox weeder. The Ox ripper has the following advantages: < Cost effective; < Facilitates spreading of the labour peak; < Increases infiltration;< Reduces soil erosion; < Reduces labour input by 70% (compared to the hand hoe); and, < Increases maize yields by 30%. Farmers however, fail to exploit this technology due to the following factors: < Low awareness of its existence;< Little knowledge of its benefits; and, < Low physical and financial access to the implements. The 2 year MATF funded project aims to empower farmers in the two target districts, to realise and exploit the potential of their work animals in order to achieve increased labour productivity. The project promotes animal drawn ripping and weeding technologies. Ripping is the minimum tillage operation of opening straight planting furrows on un-ploughed land prior or with the onset of the rains using a single lined implement (Ripper) pulled by oxen or donkeys. Animal weeding on the other

hand, is cultivation of inter-row and smothering within the row seeds using a 3 or 5 tined implement (Cultivator) pulled by a single or pair of work animals. Specific project objectives On commencement of the project in October 2004, ARI-Uyole set out to achieve the following: < Empower 341 households in Njumbe and Sumbawanga districts adopt the technology; < Increase maize yield and area under cultivation; < Train farmer to farmer trainers (128 FFTs by end of year 2) to disseminate the technolgy; < Establish an in-kind revolving credit facility to assist farmers in the purchase of the implements. < Link farmers to better markets in addition to value addition processing such as sunflower oil milling. ARI-Uyole is working with the following partners to realise these objectives: < Njombe District council - provides extension services; < Sumbawanga District council - provides extension services; < SEAZ Agricultural Equipment, Mbeya - provides implements, spares and repair services; < Anglican church, diocese of south west Tanganyika, Njombe - administers the revolving fund facility; < Caritas and development, Sumbawanga diocese - administers the revolving fund facility; and, < Farmers - provide oxen, donkeys and land for training (demo plots).

June 2006 11

Overview of selected Round 4 Projects

ARI-Uyole provides the overall project execution, technical information, training to farmers, produces promotional print materials and organises monitoring and evaluation. Approaches The project is being implemented using the following approaches: < Training - using the Farmer Field Schools (FFS) approach as a resource from which Farmer to Farmer Trainers (FFT) will emerge;< Training farmers in participatory monitoring and evaluation; < Select and target farmer groups with at least 40% women members - to enhance gender responsiveness;< Establish credit facilities to improve farmer’s access to ox-rippers and weeders; and, < Promoting the technology through agricultural shows, village displays and farm demonstrations.

Farmers in Njombe District using an ox ripper to plough a field in preparation for planting. As can be seen here, the implement can easily be used by both men and women.

An artisan from the Wanyamakazi kuzalisha biashara group displays a set of ox rippers.

In the Duluti area of Arusha, Tanzania, and Kiambu District in Kenya, MATF is supporting

AVRDC World Vegetable Centre with funding assistance, to

empower smallscale and women farmers through sustainable production, seed supply and

marketing of African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs).

Nearly 9000 tonnes of AIVs have been sold to formal and informal markets over the last 2 years in

Central Kenya.

Improving incomes and nutrition by growing African indigenous vegetables

Malnutrition is common in East Africa especially among women of childbearing age and children under five years. Its made worse by micronutrient deficiency, which is a major cause of weakened immunity to diseases, leading to increased mortality in vulnerable groups. Vegetables, especially the African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs) are excellent sources of vitamin A, C, iron as well as protein, minerals and fibre. Since 2004, The Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund (MATF), has been promoting the increased production, consumption and marketing of these vegetables in Kenya and Tanzania. This has positively contributed to improved nutrition, food security, incomes and overall livelihoods of many rural smallholder farmers in the two countries. In the Duluti area of Arusha, Tanzania, and Kiambu District in Kenya, MATF is supporting AVRDC World Vegetable Centre with funding assistance, to empower smallscale and women farmers through sustainable production, seed supply and marketing of African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs). AVRDC is an international agricultural research center dedicated to vegetable research and development. It works with its

AVRDC

Promoting the increased production, consumption and marketing of African Indigenous Vegetables in Kenya and Tanzania

partners to develop technologies and disseminate information on vegetable production and consumption.

The MATF assisted indigenous vegetable project in Arusha and Kiambu has witnessed tremendous interest by smallscale farmers, who have taken up the activity with the aim of increasing their farm incomes. The vegetables are suitable for poor farmers since they are easy to grow and require minimal external inputs to do well. Popular varieties include Amaranthus (local-Terere or Mchicha), Solanum spp (local-Manavu or Managu), Vigna unguiculata (Kunde). There has been great emphasis on targeting women farmers since many of them are responsible for producing crops on small pieces of land. In local markets, the main vendors of AIVs are often women.

In collaboration with Family Concern, a regional market development agency, AVRDC has implemented various approaches to access markets on behalf of these farmers. These approaches are characterized by modified corporate and private sector models to suit poor and vulnerable farmers. For example, these approaches have benefited small scale growers in central Kenya who have managed to penetrate supermarket outlets in Nairobi.

Linkages to business opportunities

In Guthunguri, Kiambu district, farmer groups trained by AVRDC and Family concern on various aspects of vegetable production have benefited from increased yields, better conservation of their produce and access to ready markets. Linkages established by Family Concern to the private sector is now bearing fruit in the form of supermarket outlets for the AIVs which are in great demand. Uchumi and Nakumatt Supermarkets are the major outlets that have enabled many smallscale growers from Kiambu district improve their incomes from this crop.

Family Concern acts as a go-between the farmers and the supermarket chains by ensuring timely delivery of the vegetables to their stores on a daily basis by transporters from the farms. A bunch of leaves retails at Ksh. 20.00 while the farmer is paid Ksh. 10.00. Most of the farmers are poor and are not in a position to wait for 60 working days to be paid by the supermarkets. Family Concern has therefore established a

12 MATF Newsletter

Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre

MATF Project Spotlight: AVRDC

system where farmer groups are paid on delivery and this funds are recovered when the supermarkets settle the accounts directly with the organisation.

Market beneficiaries Mr. Geofrey Njenga Njihia, a farmer from Githunguri division in Kiambu and the chairman of the Mugima self-help group, has been growing and selling the indigenous vegetables over the last 2 years. His sales to supermarkets, groceries and informal markets average Ksh. 20,000 a month. His farm also serves as a demonstration plot where other farmers come and learn various production and marketing technologies. Naomi Wambui of the Riakahara self-help group, has also benefited from selling her vegetables to big outlets. She’s able to earn an average of Ksh. 25,000 per month after delivery of 600 bunches every week at Ksh. 10 each.

The Githima farmers group is made up of 20 members with the majority being women. The group started production and marketing of AIV’s in the year 2005 after going through the series of training organized by Family concern on production practices, marketing of horticultural produce and capacity building. Through the better part of last year, the group was supplying lower volumes to Uchumi and other markets but towards the end of the year, they not only increased the volume supplied to formal

markets but also were consistent and had good quality indigenous vegetables from members and non members.The sales volume to both the formal and

informal markets over the last 3 months of 2005 is estimated to have reached over Kshs 200,000. They mainly dealt with the introduced variety of African night shades (the Solanum scabrum species), spider plant and amaranths.

Dissemination Through posters, leaflets and the radio, AVRDC has disseminated information on the production, utilization and marketing of the AIVs in both Kenya and Tanzania. Farmer groups have been trained on outsourcing orders, invoicing and how to access both formal and informal markets. Awareness campaigns have also been conducted in both countries, especially through vegetable demonstrations. In Tanzania, Shoprite supermarket in Arusha has been a venue for two demonstrations while in Kenya, Uchumi and Nakumatt supermarkets have also been utilized to promote the vegetables.This has helped create consumer awareness and hence higher demand in the target areas.

Through the participatory monitoring and evaluation that was carried by both the farmers and implementing organizations, it has been observed that AIV’s have been a reliable source of income for the members who solely depend on agriculture. They were able to

pay schools fees for secondary school students, buy farming inputs and other subsistence uses.

African Indigenous Vegetable Varieties

June 2006 13

Formal and informal Markets: Indigenous Vegetable varieties on display at a Supermarket in Nairobi, Kenya and a vegetable seller in an informal set-up. Nearly 9000 tonnes of AIVs have been sold to formal and informal markets over the last 2 years in Central Kenya.

Nightshade (Solanum scabrum)

African eggplant(Solanum aethiopicum)

Amaranth(Amaranthus cruentus)

Spider-plant(Gynandropsis gynandra)

Hyacinth Bean (Lablab purpureus L. )

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata)

EVENTS THIS YEAR < Evaluation of Round 3 projects

< 3rd Grant Holders’

Experience-sharing workshop

< Documentation & dissemination

of best practices drawn from

Round 1 and 2 projects

< Proposal development for future

MATF and Round 5

< MATF participation in East Africa

Agricultural Shows

UPDATES 2006 Evaluation of Round 3 projects Evaluation of Round 3 projects was conducted in the first Quarter of 2006. Findings from this evaluation were documented and presented to the MATF stakeholders in June 2006 during the 3rd experience sharing workshop. 3rd Grant holders workshop The 3rd experience-sharing workshop was held in Arusha, Tanzania from June 5-9, 2006. Participants were drawn from completed Round 3 projects, FARM-Africa regional representatives, and other stakeholders. It was officially opened by the Arusha Regional Commissioner, Mr. Abasi Kandoro. Documentation and dissemination

for Round 1 and 2 projects This commenced with the commissioning of an external consultant (Mediae) in August 2005. A communication workshop bringing together 7 selected projects was conducted in September 2005. Building on the findings from the workshop, the 2nd phase of the consultancy continued in March 2006 with interviews being conducted with implementers, partners and beneficiaries of the 7 selected Rounds 1 and 2 projects. This will be followed by field trips to shoot and make documentaries on the projects, culminating in the production of a Best Practice series book, pamphlets, documentaries and CDs

that can be used by a wider and varied audience. Proposal development for future MATF and Round 5 Donor approval has been sought for a funding proposal to embark on the Round 5 phase of MATF projects. This will now include, besides the normal process of selecting new grantees, a purposive component aimed at upscaling a few excellent and proven technologies from both previously funded and new selections. It will focus on moving the technologies up the value chain by:

< building strategic partnerships for better market access and market participation; and,

< facilitating development of linkages with the private sector through potential avenues linked to the Kilimo Trust and elsewhere.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS

MATF participation in regionalagricultural shows With the successful participation at the March 2006 Eldoret Agricultural Society of Kenya Show (ASK), MATF will continue to show-case more projects in its portfolio, and their technologies through selected agricultural shows in the East African countries.

MATF Updates & Forthcoming Events

The programme for the year is:< 1st-8th August 2006 - The “Nane Nane” Agricultural Show (Tanzania) < 30th August to 3rd September - The Mombasa Agricultural Show (Kenya)

< 2nd-8th October 2006 - The Nairobi International Trade Fair (Kenya) These shows offer an excellent forum for disseminating the beneficial impact of MATF’s funded projects to a wider and more diverse audience.

MATF AT THE MARCH 2006 ELDORET ASK SHOW:MATF’s Dancan Muhindi explaining how the grant-making process works to tent visitors from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), who were accompanied by two officials (centre) from the Ministry of Agriculture. The show proved to be an excellent forum for disseminating MATF experiences from funded projects.

14 MATF Newsletter

MATF/MEDIAE DOCUMENTATION WORK: Mediae consultant Tristan Measures, interviews Mr. Patrick Kihanya, one of the successful dairy farmers using the Silage making technology in Githunguri, Kiambu district, Kenya. This is one of the projects, implemented by Land O Lakes, that was identified for inclusion in the on going MATF documentation consultancy with Mediae.

www.maendeleo-atf.orgIn format ion w h e r e v e r y o u a r eMAENDELEO AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY FUND

The Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund (MATF) website is a good resource for any one interested in our activities over the last 4 years. There are numerous documents on the site that can be downloaded in PDF format for ease of storage and future reading. These documents contain valuable information on ongoing MATF activities and indepth reports. For grant holders, there are various resources available for download to assist in project implementation such as EXCEL financial worksheets on Budget templates, Quaterly finacial Reports and Budget Revision deadlines, and other templates that will ease project work.

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MAENDELEO AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY FUND

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Supporting a diversity of Agricultural Technologies