Photo report on the 2019 Africa RISING Tanzania monitoring visit to project sites from 18 - 31 March 2019.

1. In pictures: The 2019 Africa RISING Tanzania
monitoring visit
18–31 March 2019

2. Background
The Africa RISING East and Southern Africa (ESA) project management team led by the
project manager, Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon, the ESA project chief scientist, Mateete
Bekunda and implementing partners recently visited different project sites in Tanzania.
The three-day visit (18–31 March) reviewed implementation of project activities and
assessed how farmers were applying the technologies promoted by the project. The
management team interacted with farmers and got first-hand feedback from farmers on
how they were using each of the technologies and improved practices.
This photo report highlights what the team found.

3. Africa RISING project team made several stops in Babati, Kiteto, Kongwa, Mbozi and Mbeya
Rural districts to interact interact with farmers about their experiences with different
improved agricultural technologies from Africa RISING.

4. The monitoring team also made courtesy calls and stops at the offices of Africa RISING
project partners and local government representatives at various sites.

5. Africa RISING scientist and partner from CIAT, Dr. Job Kihara (left), explains the emerging
results from Mbili-mbili intercropping. Many farmers in two of the three ecozones where
Africa RISING is implementing activities have initiated it on their farms. Farmers plant a row
of pigeonpea between every double maize row, followed by a row of beans when practicing
Mbili-mbili.

6. Sophia Hussein, a farmer from Gallapo Village in Babati District shares a light moment with
the Africa RISING team which visited her farm as part of the monitoring visit. Various
improved agricultural technologies validated by the project are being demonstrated at
Sophia’s farm.

7. Africa RISING scientist and partner from World Vegetable Center (World Veg), Justus
Ochieng, talks the monitoring team through the process of establishing healthy vegetable
seedlings. Through support from the project, World Veg has been building the capacity of
farmers on vegetable production for both home consumption and market sale.

8. Farmer Azinaeli Christina Gwatema tells the Africa RISING team about her experiences and
observations after using PICs bags to store her grain harvest as opposed to using
conventional bags. The Africa RISING project has introduced hermetic grain storage
technologies to small holder farmers in Tanzania. Using PICs bags for storage guarantees
farmers an average net-benefit of Tshs 3,727 (USD1.7) per bag per storage season which is
equivalent to TZS67,087 (USD30.7) per household per season.

9. Field visits to project sites
The project, also working with Kilimo Endelevu, a local development organization, in scaling
up technologies that reduce postharvest losses like metal silos. Studies have shown that
farmers lose at least 60% of their grain yield due to poor postharvest handling. These
activities therefore aim to contribute to food and nutrition security through improved
practices for the handling, processing, and storage of the harvested produce.

10. Africa RISING scientist, Christopher Mutungi explains how the newly developed low-cost
mechanized multi crop processor prototype works at Changarawe Village in Karatu District.
The machines can perform additional tasks that integrate two or more post-harvest
operations as is often the case in a local farm set up. These improvements reduce the net
investment cost and increase productivity.

11. A service provider Michael Lohay demonstrates how the new multi crop processor
works. The multi-processor, unlike the previous machines can perform additional tasks
in a manner that integrates two or more post-harvest operations, characteristic of the
local farming system. These improvements have the potential to reduce idling life,
reduce net investment cost and increase productivity.

12. Twelve (12) new elite maize hybrids with early to intermediate maturity and drought
tolerance were planted at sites in three districts of Tanzania - Kongwa, Iringa, and Kiteto.
The goal of this activity is to further validate their performance and adaptability under
semi-arid conditions. Also, information is being collected on the type of maize varieties
being grown by farmers in the neighboring fields at each experimental site. This is to
answer the question of crop/variety diversity.

13. Quality Declared Seed (QDS) production for legumes
The Africa RISING – NAFAKA project is focusing on ensuring sustained availability of rice
and legume seeds for smallholder farmers. This is because despite intense interest by
farmers to grow improved varieties, access to quality seed remains a significant
challenge.
The project has therefore been working to improve linkages between small local seed
companies, community seed producers, and national breeding programs as a means of
addressing this challenge. In the 2018/2019 cropping season, 123 rice QDS farms were
established covering 154.5 acres; whereas, for legumes 108 farms were planted,
covering 124 acres.

14. Compiled by Bevin Bhoke
Photo credits: Bevin Bhoke

15. Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation
africa-rising.net
This presentation is licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
Thank you.