by AdminStrengthening SHF business value chain in Rufiji and Kibiti Districts
AMSHA Institute of Rural Entrepreneurship and her partners have initiated the strengthening SHF business value chain project in Pwani region, particularly in Rufiji and Kibiti Districts. The project is concentrating on development pineapple and rice value chain in Kibiti and Rufiji districts respectively.
The main role of AMSHA Institute of Rural Entrepreneurship in the value chains is to provide a business development support services to Smallholder Farmers (SHFs) in the region, where 1000 SEs are targeted.
From 15/7/2017 – 30/09/2017, AMSHA focused on assessing the needs of the targeted beneficiaries on each value chain, introducing the project and the concept to the Local government authorities as well as conducted Training of Trainers on contract farming.
The project inception focused on the aim of the project to the targeted farmers and how each of the participants will be benefiting from the project activities and created general understanding on agribusiness to the farmers,also sensitization on environmental management and gender inclusiveness in agricultural activities.
During the inception, we have managed to reach to about 80 Ses where 41% are women in Kibiti district while in Rufiji district almost 239 farmers were reached and 48% were women.
AMSHA team also conducted Training Of Trainers (ToT) on contract farming to a total of 108 lead farmers were trained in the region. The training aimed at capacitating lead farmers on understanding the concept of contract farming as well as negotiation skills,this training was very important to the SHFs of the targeted area as they are about to enter into contract farming relationship between them and their up-taker.
Also the team did close follow up to make sure that each trained lead farmer go back and train his/her fellow farmers on contract farming (still on progress).