This is a collaborative initiative, between SUGECO, Farm Africa, and Big Lottery Fund, aiming to address issues facing smallholder farmers (SHFs) in the Gairo and Kilosa Districts in Morogoro Region. The target groups were: smallholder farmers, extension workers, village leaders, farmers, nutrition officers, pregnant and lactating women, food vendors, food processors, market agents, and roadside sellers. 4000 participants were trained directly along with 20,000 indirectly.

The project, which focuses on the promotion of vitamin A-rich crops, such as the Viazi Lishe (Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato), within Tanzanian markets, aims to address issues of household poverty and malnutrition - associated with a lack of public consumption (and awareness) in regards to nutrient-dense produce. By supporting smallholder farmers (SHFs) in ten villages located in the Kilosa and Gairo districts, the project aims to support farmers growing and selling high quality cash crops, thereby playing an active role within both the harvest and market processes. 

Along with addressing the barriers contributing to household malnutrition, the NACC project is also promoting the consumption of nutritious crops, such as Orange Fleshed Sweet Potato (OFSP), Quality Protein Maize (QPM), sesame, beans and sunflower - produce commonly grown and consumed within the fertile region of southern Morogoro, Tanzania. Moreover, an increased emphasis on addressing the market-level constraints that Tanzanian SHFs face, such as those relating to the quality and level of their crop yields as well as establishing reliable buyer and market-level links, will also help increase household income, and simultaneously help address the nutritional deficiency prevalent amongst Tanzanian children as well as pregnant and lactating women - a major issue facing many SHFs and rural communities within Tanzania!

The NACC project, which primarily focuses on addressing the issue of food insecurity in Tanzania, also involves analysis of the specific community-based barriers facing SHFs, and women in particular; current support activities include: providing training in Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), facilitating the processing of surplus, non-market standard produce, supporting the development of farmer links with target markets and identifying gender-based barriers that hinder active female participation in the agri-business field.

Mkongo Youth Hands-on Agribusiness was a two-year project funded to Sokoine University Graduate Entrepreneurs Cooperative (SUGECO) by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations from 2016 to 2017. SUGECO collaborated with Rufiji Basin Development Authority (RUBADA) on providing this training which covered four major programs including horticulture, roots and tubers, poultry keeping, and beekeeping. Over 500 youth from across the country have benefited from the training. The youth were taken in different batches including 50 youth who stayed in a camp for two weeks engaged intensively in a class and in a field session. During the two-week training, the youth were exposed to new agricultural technologies like the application of drip irrigation systems and greenhouse, among other things.

On October 11, 2017, it was the closure of the training held in the camp with the beekeeping final trainees who were among the beneficiaries of the training, and other guests were invited. During the closing ceremony, the Principal Agriculture Officer from the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Evarist Makene congratulated SUGECO and RUBADA for the job well done, adding on how the training will help young people to be able to embark on smart agriculture activities.

“The training that you have received should be well utilized when you go back to your home villages, you should be a catalyst for agricultural transformation.” Dr. Evarist Makene.

Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) Director of planning and development, Prof Damian Gabadambi urged the government to allow SUA to take control of the Mkongo agricultural youth camp so that more young graduates can be trained on better practices of modern agriculture for the country’s development.

Furthermore, SUGECO Executive Director Mr. Revocatus Kimario emphasized on the youth to work very hard and to use the skills acquired to transform their lives. He also added on how the country needs to undergo a major youth mindset transformation to change the negative perception towards agriculture and to attract more youth in agribusiness in order to combat the current unemployment challenge facing youth.