Climate Smart Agriculture (SCA)
Use of Hand Push Planters Reduced Planting Workload for 30 Smallholders (Women) in Simanjiro District in Manyara Region - Tanzania
Jiongeze group in Narakauo village, Simanjiro District, comprises of 30 smallholder farmers(SHFs) all of whom are women with ages ranging from 34 to 52 years. The group’s main objective is to improve members livelihoods through agriculture and bee keeping by pulling resources to exploit their collective strength to enable them attain food security, access healthcare services, educate their children and build improved shelters (housing). Major crops grown by group members are common beans and Maize.
Agro-Tanzania Organization (ATO) visited the group to build members’ capacity in good agricultural practices and introduced the hand push planter, a simple farm machinery (see photo) that can greatly reduce workload during planting apart from enabling larger areas (up to 3 acres a day per person) to be planted compared to four (4) people planting an acre per day using hand hoe and rope. The hand push planter is a simple machinery that can be used by anybody and it is reasonably cheap, easily portable using a bicycle or a motorcycle compared to expensive motor planting machines which SHFs cannot afford.
Jiongeze members receiving hand push planter from Masabo Agribusiness
ATO conducted Climate Smart Agriculture awareness campaigns and trainings on timely planting, correct spacing, use of improved seed and correct use of organic and inorganic fertilizers, integrated pest management and timely harvesting to build the resilience of smallholder farmers (including jiongeze group members) to climate change. For example, by using the hand push planter group members will achieve an important milestone in ensuring timely planting which is important in coping with changing weather patterns especially the onset and offset of rains given that they mainly rely on rainfall for agricultural production.
After interacting with ATO during CSA champions training, Jiongeze group leaders were highly attracted to the hand push planter where the group purchased one unit which they were convinced that it will simplify the planting process. Previously, they planted traditionally using hand hoes hence failing to complete the process on time especially for members with large fields. The planter was bought at TZS. 350,000/= from Masabo Agribusiness Company based in Arusha using cash from the group fund acquired from their bee keeping project which was supported by a loan from the District Council.
Happy Jiongeze member using hand push planter
Group members pay TZS. 5,000 only to plant one acre compared to TZS 50,000 they paid for motor tractor planter. The hand push planter will also be available for hire to non-group members once all members of Jiongeze are through with planting their farms. Non group members will be charged TZS 15,000 per acre and hence assure Jiongeze group of additional income using this new technology while reducing planting costs. The new technology will improve efficiency in agricultural production and through awareness campaigns other will adopt the technology.