CVPP-Z Launch

FCI begins Commercial Village Processing Programme in Zanzibar

Over 25,000 smallholder farmers in Zanzibar are set to enjoy increased incomes from the Commercial Village Processing Programme - Zanzibar (CVPP-Z) after Farm Concern International (FCI) and Alliance for Green Revolution Africa (AGRA) partnered top enhance their business.

Through the programme, FCI and AGRA are working towards increasing production of cassava, finding and linking farmers to markets and adding value to cassava produce. It is anticipated that through these initiatives, farmers in Zanzibar will market up to 70% of their total cassava produced. The programme implementation commenced in January 2015 and is projected to run through to 2017. 

Commercialization campaigns

During this period, the programme conducted commercialization campaigns in various villages to sensitize farmers on the market opportunities for cassava through dissemination of market information. Further, awareness campaigns were conducted to inform the community about the CVPP-Z project goal, objectives and to introduce the Commercial Village Model. As a result, five (5) Commercial Villages have been established in Bumbwine, Mitakawani, Machui, Kilombero and Mkokotoni.

Based on the Market Hub Model, the programme successfully conducted market profiling in Shimoni, Kinyasini, Mwanakwerekwe and Darajani markets. The programme also identified market prices, varieties of cassava on high market demand, sourcing patterns, seasonality and logistical challenges encountered in the cassava value chain. The collected market information has since been shared with the established Commercial Villages. Going forward, farmers are being encouraged to grow the cassava varieties with high market demand.

CVPP-Z programme currently works with 620 smallholder farmers with 25,000 expected to actively participate in the project by 2016. Strategic partnerships have been established with Kizimbani Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture, District Administrative Secretary (DAS) as well as the District Agricultural and Livestock Development Officer (DALDO) for effective programme implementation. 

Highlights

Tanzania’s Mbuyuni market traders form trade group to improve their business

Traders are important partners to smallholder farmers. They often offer an important and cheaper outlet for farmers who want to dispense their produce rather than wait for the consumers to visit them. However, by operating individually, traders constrict their opportunities towards business development in terms of capital growth, purchasing power and access to quality and required volumes. At Mbuyuni market, 553 km from Tanzania’s capital, Dar es Salaam, traders have devised measures that help them leverage the previously existing stalled opportunities. This was however preceded by a series of trainings and sensitization initiatives by Farm Concern International (FCI) with support from HiVos through Nutrition, Commercialization and Markets (NuCom) project... Read More

Improving small holder market access through strategic business partnerships

Cassava farmers of Zanzibar have begun reaping the rewards of strategic partnerships. Through development of strategic business partnerships between smallholders and market players, 1,197 smallholder farmers are competitively and profitably participate in the market place and realize benefits. By means of a series of Village Business Forum (VBS) facilitated by Farm Concern International (FCI), with support from Alliance for Green Revolution Africa (AGRA) through Cassava Village Processing Programme - Zanzibar (CVPP-Z), farmers have been linked to various stakeholders in the cassava value chain including; agro-processors wholesale buyers, input suppliers and financial service providers... Read More

Case Studies

Mr. Ali Saleh Machano realizes USD 525 every season from cassava

Mr. Ali Saleh Machano is a 64 year old farmer and trader in Donge Commercial Village (CV) in Donde Vijibweni North B District- Zanzibar. He is married to 2 wives and a father of 10 children. Donde joined the CV in 2015 after commercialization campaigns conducted by Farm Concern International under the Cassava Village Processing Programme funded by USAID through Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. He now earns USD 525 every season from cassava farming... Read More

Mr. Amor increases income by 40% after adoption of Good Agricultural Practices

Mr. Amor Juma Mohamed is a 45 year old farmer and trader in Donge Commercial Village in Donde Vijibweni North B Dstrict – Zanzibar where he lives with his wife and 2 children. Mr. Amor joined the CV in 2015 after commercialization campaigns conducted by Farm Concern International under the Cassava Village Processing Programme funded by USAID through Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa.... Read More 

Bubwini Commercial Village sets up a cassava processing plant in Zanzibar

Bubwini Commercial village in North B district was formed in 2015 as a result of commercialization campaigns conducted by Farm Concern International (FCI) under the Cassava Village Processing Programme funded by USAID through Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa. It has 4 Commercial Producer Groups (CPGs); Saa Njema, Tamaa Ipo, Masikini ndio mwenyewe kazi and Tumwambie nini with 100 members. It is led by a Commercial Village Trade Facilitator (CVTF); Maulid Othman famously known as Jesh (Army)..... Read More  

Farmer makes USD 2,000 from sale of Cassava planting materials

Mr. Marando Charles who is aged 50 and married with four children is a prominent cassava farmer from Kizimbani village which is also a home for the common Kizimbani Research station situated about 17 KMs off the Western part of Zanzibar town (The stone town). It is within the West A district of Unguja Island. Mr. Marando took advantage of his village playing host to Kizimbani Research Institute to acquire cassava planting materials produced by the institute with the support from CVPP project to start a business of producing and selling of improved cassava planting materials... Read More 

Foum Makame uses cassava proceeds to educate his three sons

Foum Makame, a married father of six children, is a farmer from Kazole village in North ‘B’ district who grows cassava as a cash crop. His other crops grown in his land include banana, rice and sweet potato. Mr. Foum has about 3 acres under cassava where he uses family labor for the rest of the field operations except for bush clearing and ridge making where he uses hired labor... Read More  

Mr. Kombo Khamis earns USD 300 per season from sale of cassava roots and stems

Mr. Kombo Khamis is a farmer living in Bumbwini village, which is located in North B district. Mr. Khamis grows many crops, but her major ones are cassava, sweet potato and rice. He performs his farming activities with the help his wife, but he is the one who bears the overall responsibility in managing the farm. Cassava being his major food crop as well as cash crop, it is planted mainly during Vuli season (September-November) and Masika season (March-May)... Read More  

Cassava farming improves the living standards of farmers in Zanzibar

Yistina shares her transformational story through Cassava farming after adopting the Good Agricultural Practices taught by Zanzibar Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI) and market linkages by FCI under the  Cassava Village Processing Programme by Farm Concern International with support from USAID. “I joined Kiombamvua CV in 2015 and was educated on collective purchasing of inputs & marketing and good agronomical practices like planting in ridges, use of improved seeds (Kizimbani), use of manure and crop rotation and weeding by Zanzibar Agricultural Research Institute (ZARI) and FCI linked us to markets in Unguja through Village Business Forums (VBF). I was assured of markets for my cassava even before I planted. I now cultivate cassava on 1 acre farm and harvest 20-35 bags of 50kgs which I sell at Tsh 25,000 (USD 12.5) per bag earning Tsh 8,750,000 (USD 437.5)... Read More