1. -with special reference to Singida and Dodoma Region in Tanzania
FIPS-Africa’s Approach to Helping Small-holder farmers to improve their food security through adaptation to climate change
-with special reference to Singida and Dodoma Region in Tanzania
Paul Seward

2. Constraints and Strategy
Constraints caused by climate change
Low rainfall
Poorly distributed rainfall
Increasing incidence of crop failure, resulting in food insecurity
FIPS-Africa’s strategy to help farmers adapt to climate change
Introduction of early-maturing varieties of farmers preferred food crops
Introduction of new drought-tolerant crops
Promotion of crop diversity
Promotion of appropriate soil/crop management techniques
Promotion of indigenous chickens that survive drought
Promotion of tree crops
Mass dissemination of appropriate inputs through self-employed Village-based Advisors

3. Constraints, Interventions and Partnerships
Source
All crops
Soil hard pans
Deep tillage with spring jembe
Artisans in Kenya
Most crops
Poor soil fertiility
Yara Mila Cereal Fertilizer
Yara Tanzania Ltd.,
Minjingu Mazao fertilizer
Minjingu Mines & Fertilizer Ltd.
Maize
Crop
Situka (OPV)
East Africa Seed Co.
TAN250
Tanseed International
DK8031
Monsanto
P2859W
Pioneer
Longe 4
FICA Seed Co.
SC403
Seedco
WH403, WH505
Western Seed Co
Sorghum
Late-maturing local varieties
Macia
ASA; QDS Farmers
Pearl Millet
Okoa
Cowpea
Tumaini, Vuli1
Sunflower
Record
Sweet potato
Karoti-Dar, Jewel, Ejumula
Farmer groups working with Ukiriguru AR!
Cassava
Mumba
Humbolo ARI
Tomato
Lack of certified seed
Rio Grande
East African Seed Co
Onion
Bombay Red, Red Creole

4. Improved technologies have been developed , but….
The Challenge (3)
Improved technologies have been developed , but….
How do we develop a self-sustaining extension service to disseminate inputs and information to empower small-holder farmers to improve their food security?

5. Methodology: Networks of Self-employed Village-based Advisors (VBAs)
VBAs / district
1 VBA to advise at least 500 farmer families
VBAs linked to Research Institutes and Seed Companies
VBAs simultaneously disseminate wide range of improved varieties of their most important crops (multi-technology approach) using Small Pack/Whole Village approach, and advise farmers on soil/crop management

6. Village-based Advisors (VBAs)
- Selected with and trained by the Ministry of Agriculture

7. Methodology: Small Pack/Whole Village Approach
Baby Demo
1 tonne of seed, packaged into 25 g sample packs, can be distributed to 40,000 farmers

8. Small Pack/ Whole Village Approach – All Farmers try the inputs
Everybody, even the poorest, gets to :
Try a Baby demo
Avoid exclusive nature of group/ lead farmer approaches
Believe in technology because they practice on own land
Small promotion packs of seed:
25 g seed enough to learn (5m x 2m)
1 tonne of seed can reach 40,000 households
Cheap, cost-effective, large uptake
Mother Demo
Village 1
Village 4
Village 2
Village 3

9. Promotion of Improved Soil/Crop Management
Deep Tillage – Spring jembe
Breaks hard pan allowing rainwater infiltration and root growth to deeper soil
layers
“Spring” jembe
Farmer tillage
Deep row tillage with “spring “jembe combined with tied ridges

10. Impact: Increased Demand for and Sales of Seeds
Having succeeded with small packs, farmers mobilise resources
and return to local stockist or VBA to purchase larger quantities of
seed to improve food security and income generation

11. Impact: Farmers improving their food security through adoption of improved maize varieties
DK8031 variety
DK8031 variety

12. Impact: Farmers saving their seed from small pack seed loans of new millet variety
Okoa

13. Impact: Farmers saving their seed from small pack seed loans of new sorghum variety
Macia
Local variety

14. Impact: Farmers saving their seed of new cowpea varieties from small (50 g) pack seed loans.

15. Impact: Farmers saving their seed of improved (Record) sunflower variety from small (50 g) pack seed loans .

16. Impact: Farmers improving their food security through improved Humba cassava variety
Mumba variety

17. Impact: Farmers improving their food security through improved sweet potato varieties

18. Impact: Farmers benefiting from the introduction of the drought-tolerant Dolichos lablab crop

19. Impact: Farmers improving their food security through improved chicken survival

20. Adoption & Impact – Independent Reviews by SUA
Adoption & Impact – Independent Reviews by SUA
1. Prof Joseph Hella from Sokoine University (October 2011).
Prof Hella concluded: “…we propose for the government, through their respective DALDOs, to emulate a similar promotion strategy in other districts since it is a quickest win and the most cost-effective approach ever used in this country.”
2. Prof. Kallunde Sibuga from Sokoine University (November 2012)
Prof. Sibuga concluded: “Farmers reported that the improved varieties that were promoted by FIPS-Africa and that they have adopted have helped them to increase the yields of their crops. For almost all crops, farmers reported yield increases of over the targeted 30% (generally between 30 and 70%) across the three districts
Approximately 80,000 small-holder farmer households benefiting from the approach over 4 years

21. Impact: Self-employment opportunities generated for Village-based Advisors
Sale of farm inputs in partnership with private sector companies

22. Impact: Self-employment opportunities generated for village-based Advisors
Production and Sale of Quality
Declared Seed (QDS) in partnership with District Councils

23. Impacts: Self-employment opportunities generated for Village-based Advisors
Sale of Tree seedlings

24. Impact: Self-employment opportunities generated for Village-based Advisors
Chicken vaccination against Newcastle disease
(1 Chicken = US$ 5 = 2 kg seed = 5 kg fertilizer)

25. Impact: Self-employment opportunities generated for Village-based Advisors

26. FIPS-Africa Project Management
R.C. = Regional Coordinator
D.C. = District Coordinator
VBA = Village Based Agriculture Advisor (non-staff)
Each VBA works with 200 – 500 farming households
VBA RC DC
District Coordinators each with up to 50 VBAs
Regional Coordinators each support 4 – 6 District Coordinators

27. Thank you - To Irish Aid for support
- To all our Partners in Seed Companies, Research Organisations, Ministry of Agriculture for their co-operation;
- To FIPS-Africa Staff for their innovation and commitment
For more information, contact:
Farm Input Promotions Africa (FIPS-Africa),
PO Box 5523,
00200-Nairobi.
Tel: ;