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Project

Scaling Up Improved Legume Technologies in Tanzania (CIFSRF Phase 2)
 

Tanzania
Project ID
108127
Total Funding
CAD 1,419,670.00
IDRC Officer
Marco Rondon
Project Status
Completed
End Date
Duration
28 months

Programs and partnerships

Agriculture and Food Security

Lead institution(s)

Project leader:
James Watiti
United Kingdom

Project leader:
Mbette Mshindo Msolla
United States

Summary

Despite the well-documented advantages of improved legume technologies, adoption is slow. Constraints include the lack of information reaching farmers, along with the availability and affordability of high-quality seeds, fertilizers, and Rhizobium inoculants.Read more

Despite the well-documented advantages of improved legume technologies, adoption is slow. Constraints include the lack of information reaching farmers, along with the availability and affordability of high-quality seeds, fertilizers, and Rhizobium inoculants. This project aims to resolve these limitations to make the technologies accessible to 100,000 small-scale farmers from six districts across Tanzania. Increasing awareness and adoption The project team will use a multimedia approach to inform half a million farmers about the benefits of the improved legume technologies. Tactics include interactive radio campaigns, social media, smartphone messaging, and voice telephony. Researchers expect that approximately 20% of farmers will adopt the new technologies. The team will also conduct subsidized farm-level trials, hold farmer-to-farmer demonstrations, and organize field days. Hub agro dealer model The project will use a hub agro model, which places agricultural dealers at the centre of their communities. This allows smallholder farmers to reduce transportation costs and makes inputs available locally. The project team will train at least 30 hub agro dealers on the technologies so they can instruct a larger number of smaller-scale agro dealers operating across the target regions. Research partners will develop local capacity to ensure that the Tanzanian radio stations, designers, and writers can run similar campaigns in the future. Innovation in legume technologies By improving yields and reducing production costs, the project will increase family incomes and contribute to better nutrition of rural and urban households in Tanzania. This will allow them to consume a wider variety of legumes rich in protein and nutrients. The project will also inform better policies that promote community-based seed systems with high-quality standards. A consortium will implement the project. It includes the following organizations: -African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership in Tanzania -Farm Radio International -Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau International Project funding This project is funded under the Canadian International Food Security Research Fund (CIFSRF), an IDRC program undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada (formerly Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada). oject

Research outputs

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Report
Language:

English

Summary

The objectives of the meeting were to identify communications policy issues that affect farmers’ access to information on agricultural technologies and propose ways to address challenges in Tanzania. The meetings covered topics of: agricultural extension; policy and how it affects farmers; timely dissemination of agricultural information; and, communication channels. The report includes a record of participation and the workshop agenda.

Author(s)
Hampson, Karen
Brief
Language:

English

Summary

A rhizobium inoculant converts nitrogen from the air into a form legumes can use, improving soil fertility, while maximizing plant growth and yields. Improved legume varieties, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, high-quality seeds, and fertilizers can increase yields, reduce production costs, and enhance nutrition. This brief outlines information campaigns and other activities to increase farmers’ awareness of agricultural innovations. Efforts are underway to harness the power and reach of radio and other media to spread word of these technologies to 500,000 farming families in the Northern and Southern Highlands of Tanzania.

Author(s)
Msolla, Andrew
Brief
Language:

English

Summary

Media campaigns resulted in over 128,000 farming family members (77,153 male and 51,436 female) using improved legume technology practices (improved seeds, row spacing, fertilizing, weeding, storing, intercropping). The project targeted information to farmers with consistent messages about the benefits of the improved technologies through print and interactive radio, traditional extension approaches (demo plots, training days), and information tailored towards young, elderly, male and female demographic groups. Radio campaigns proved the most effective for large audiences, with six radio series reaching an estimated 508,000 farming family members, along with on-air time for questions and discussion.

Author(s)
Canadian International Food Security Fund
Article
Language:

English

Summary

Extension materials facilitated VBA engagement of farmers in rural Tanzania even in informal settings, enhancing information flow beyond village boundaries. Village-based Advisors (VBAs) play important roles in reaching a wide audience of farmers. Project evidence demonstrates uptake of promoted common bean practices by farmers, enhanced by judicious incentives such as higher yields, increased land productivity, and labor-saving. The Africa Soil Health Consortium (ASHC) common bean campaign aimed to scale-up information on proven improved technologies. Findings indicate that VBAs are relevant in scaling-up because of farmer understanding and trust.

Author(s)
Kansiime, Monica
Report
Language:

English

Summary

An important component of the Scaling Up Improved Legume Technologies (SILT) project was implementation (by Farm Radio International and partners) of radio programs on improved practices for common beans, aired in the northern Regions of Tanzania: Arusha and Manyara. This evaluation assesses the reach and impact of interactive rural radio programs on farmers’ knowledge and up-take of improved common bean technologies promoted by the SILT project; and assesses potential synergies between multiple SILT extension activities: Radio, Demonstration plots, Leaflets, and a campaign around Shujaaz comics.

Author(s)
Hampson, Karen
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