PROJECT OBJECTIVES

Improve farmers productivity Improve quality of production Increase awareness on the usage of modern farming technology Enhance current capacity of famers Reduce production cost through volume input purchases Market access and high-returns Introduce funds to be used for facilities and services

CONTEXT
Agriculture is the dominant sector in Zanzibar and plays an essential role in rural and overall economic development. More than 70 per cent of Zanzibars active labor force earns a livelihood in the agricultural sector. Thus, the future of Zanzibar is closely intertwined with the development of its agricultural sector. However, Zanzibars potential with respect to commercial agriculture is largely untapped, and the current status of agriculture is a source of major concern. The sector is dominated by poor smallholders, often solely engaged in subsistence agriculture, while the agribusiness sector is in its infancy in most countries. Smallholders face challenges in accessing input and output markets and find themselves trapped into a vicious cycle of low income, low inputs and low productivity.

WHAT IS COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE?

Commercial Agriculture is production primarily for the market. It is also not based on scale of production and or particular types of crops grown. Subsistence Agriculture is another type of farming where farmers produce only enough to feed their family. Commercial Agriculture may be differentiated in three farming systems, which includes: Family Farms:- use of family labor (smallholders) Small Investor Farms:- owner only manages Larger-Scale Farms:- owner employs workers

A VISIT TO A SMALL INVESTOR & FAMILY FARMS

KIDICHI SMALL INVESTORS SPICE FARM BUBUBU INDIVIDUAL FAMILY VEGETABLE PLOT FARM

FAMILY & SMALL INVESTOR FARMS

SMALL INVESTORS TOMATO FARM COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE CORN FIELD

COMMERCIAL VERSUS SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE

COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE Capital formation Market share New technology Increase productivity Economic sustainability Employment generation Reduce poverty SUBSISTENCE AGRICULTURE No capital No market share Limited technology Low production Lack of sustainability Lack of hiring power No role in poverty reduction

KADIR, SUPERVISOR OF BUMBWISUDI IRRIGATION SCHEME SPEAKING WITH KATHRYN SUTTON OF PARTICIPATE NOW

OMAR OF USAID TRAINING MEMBERS OF KISAKASAKA FARMERS COOPERATIVE

OAMAR OF USAID & HESHBON OF VSO SHARING IDEAS ON HOW TO OVERCOME SOME OF THE CONTRAINS FACED BY THE FARMERS

SOME OF THE PROBLEMS FARMERS FACE

MEMBERS OF KISAKASAKA FARMERS COOPERATIVE HAVING A DISCUSSION

MEMBERS ARE DISCUSSING ABOUT HOW TO INCREASE THEIR VICOBAS SAVINGS
MEMBERS ARE DISCUSSING ABOUT HOW TO OBTAIN A MORE RELIABLE GENERATOR

BUMBWISUDI IRRIGATION SCHEME

FACTORS OF COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE

Location:- road access to the farm Climate:- temperature and pattern of rainfall determines what type of crops will grow Raw materials:- seeds, fertilizers and pesticides Market force:- keep an eye on fluctuation of the market, prices are set by supply and demand Labor force:- (if needed)-farm workers & machines Transportation:- reliable mode of transportation is required especially when transporting perishable commodities like tomatoes, eggplants & peppers Irrigation scheme:- (if required)

WHY CANT I ACCESS BANK LOANS TO FINANCE REQUIRED QUALITY RAW MATERIALS? Zanzibar farmers sometimes find it difficult to access financial services, due the following:Between 70 to 80 % of the farmers lives in rural areas and have no access to financial services About 85 % dont understand interest rates, guarantors or opening a bank account Those with bank savings dont save enough to meet the banks lending requirements Most dont have or understand collateral

WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS OF SECURING A LOAN?

Beside the use of banking services, smallholder farmers may also be able access financial services through the following: Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (SACCOS) Village Community Banking Scheme (VICOBAS) Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLA) The following are members of MICRONET network and do provide grants to micro-finance organizations to offer loans: CORDAID: HIVOS: OXFAM NOVIB:-

BENEFITS OF JOINING A SACCOS OR VICOBAS Access to Income:- group members will have access Access to credit and able to invest in agriculture raw materials or in other income generating activities Empowerment:- frequent meetings and trainings empowers the members to take up active leadership roles within their community Safety net:- provides means for members to address immediate financial needs Improve financial literacy:- enhances members ability to be familiar with basic financial products Business Development Services:- may improve members capacity to invest effectively

WHY CANT I SELL MY PRODUCTS?

Competitiveness is a vital component of the market trend. When an entrepreneur is not on the pinnacle of the competitive edge, then he or she will not fully benefit from the market returns. The following constrains contributes to the inability to sell: Market demand not met Supply is higher than demand Lack of variation Lack of quality control Fluctuation of market forces Lack of crop rotation

GOOD AND BAD QUALITY TOMATOES

GOOD TOMATOES BAD TOMATOES

GOOD QUALITY VEGETABLES

FRESH LOOKING EGGPLANTS FRESH LOOKING GREENPEPPER

GOOD QUALITY PEPPER PLANT & CORN FIELD IN ZANZIBAR

FRESH LOOKING PEPPER PLANT GOOD LOOKING CORN FIELD

GOOD AND POOR QUALITY CUCUMBERS

PREMIUM LOOKING CUCUMBERS BAD LOOKING CUCUMBERS

MIXED AND ORGANIZED SETTINGS

MIXED VEGETABLE SETTINGS ORGANIZED VEGETABLE SETTINGS

WOULD YOU BUY A OR FROM B?

(A) PRICE FOR THE TWO TOMATOES IS TSH.500.00 (B) PRICE FOR 10 TOMATOES FROM THIS LOAD IS TSH. 200.00

WOULD YOU BUY THEM IF YOU WERE A CONSUMER?

UNRIPED TOMATOES WORM INFESTED TOMATO

IF YOU WERE A CONSUMER FROM WHOM WOULD YOU BUY YOUR VEGETABLES FROM
(A) BRIANS STALL (B) ELIUDS STALL

HEALTHY AND PEST INFESTED VEGETABLES

(1) BRITISH MPS INTEREST IN AGRICULTURE , (2) OMAR SHOWING AN MP HOW TO USE THE MONEY MAKER PUMP, (3) UWAMWIMA DOING QUALITY CONTROL (4) HESHBON SHOWING A VICOBAS SAVINGS BOOK TO THE CORDAID GRANT MANAGER

(1) FARMS IN BUBUBU, (2) KISAKASAKA, (3) FUONI AND (4) UWAMWIMAS VEGETABLE COLD STORAGE FACILITY IN STONETOWN SHOWING TOMATO STOCK

CONCLUSION
Vegetable production in Zanzibar is made up of numbers of smallholder producers. Zanzibar also has a comparative advantage in the production of spice and tropical fruits. Nonetheless, majority of the farmers grow the following: tomatoes, egg-plants, green peppers, okra, chilies, cabbages, cucumbers, spinach, cassava and onions. Even though lot of Zanzibar farmers are doing well, more training is needed on: tracking crop production and harvesting, quantity and quality, crop rotation, pest management, diversification and intensification of crops, and pro-active market strategy.

Thank you. Brian M Touray ZEST Project Manager