GFAR blog

YAP proposal #124: Vegetable Farming for Improved Production Economy (VeFIPE) (Mohamed Malembo, Tanzania)

TOMATOES

My name is Mohamed Malembo, 33, a Tanzanian. I am a rural development practitioner by profession, and Executive Director at and founder of Local Entrepreneurship Network and Environmental Conservation (LENEC). I’m also Ambassador for MilkywayYouthMovement in the area of education, health, and culture, representing Tanzania.

When I was a primary school student, I started as a bread and snacks seller, and food vendor helping my mother to earn income for the family. I observed several challenges while working, such as child labour, forced tax payment, no areas for small business people among the others, to some individuals who worked in such trades. One day I came with an idea for an initiating institution to address these challenges facing the local entrepreneurs to the government in my country. I thank God, I reached University level, I thought it was a proper time to pursue my dream. My recent work with youth-led organization that operates in an entrepreneurship-, environment- and human-related context—that is, human rights and disasters—which I founded with my efforts. Through this Organization, I managed to raise hot discussion on youth employment through the agricultural sector following research and simple observation within my country.

Vegetable farming for improved production economy is a training initiative that aims to add a solution to youth unemployment in the agricultural sector in Tanzania, under Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #1. The initiative intends to involve more than 500 youth and other peasant individuals in building their capacities for improved irrigation. This initiative will grow sweet peppers, tomatoes, and onions as pilot crops for the training through the use of improved farming technology, consisting of a solar electric pump, drip set-up, improved seeds, and plant vitamins that will ensure vegetable products of quality and quantity at market.

The reason that motivated me to rise this agripreneurship initiative is as follows; Census (2012) shows that more than 60% of the people in my country are youths, and are the ones who ignore involvement in the agricultural sector that keeps them jobless. Meanwhile, public media, including newspapers, radio, TV, and social networks like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, fail to provide essential information that relates to agricultural challenges and opportunities in my country.

The initiative has three important phases:

  • Awareness on Agricultural information: Challenges and Opportunities (we will give information through local meet-ups, seminars, workshops, and social media.
  • Development of farm training (for demonstrating improved farming technology and better farming strategies)
  • Connect trained individuals (youth and other peasant individuals) to financial institutions or companies like SACCOS and banks for loan or farming tools access respectively.

The initiative picks the agricultural sector since it is the foundation of the country’s economy.  It accounts for about half of the national income, three-quarters of merchandise exports, is the source of food, and provides employment opportunities to about 80% of individuals.  It has linkages with the non-farm sector through forward linkages to agro-processing, consumption and export. And it provides raw materials to industries and a market for manufactured.

The initiative will establish the training base at Mvomero District, with the entire project’s activities to take place there for the nearby youth and other peasant community groups. The initiative will expand to other farming zones to make young people and other indigenous communities aware of agriculture as the biggest employer, income earner, and provider of food security. Also, the initiative shall introduce the Agricultural ShowCase (ASC) that shall act as platform for discussing and presenting the agricultural context through TV/radio and social media like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

In implementing this initiative, we have started phase I (from January to August 2016), providing awareness on agricultural information: challenges and opportunities through meeting, television (Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation-TBC), and social media. We expect to go to phase II (from September 2016 to March 2017) for developing farm training where youth and other peasants’ groups will be formed for demonstrating technology and better farming strategies. We will measure our success through seeing the increasing in youth numbers taking an interest in farming sector and form their agricultural ventures.

The initiative has three acres arable farmland, located near Wami river in Morogoro region. Together with a mini-water pump that will assist solar electric pump to pull water from the river and knowledgeable volunteers from the field of agronomy for operating this training. The budget for phase II (USD 5000):

  • USD 1,591 for purchasing solar electric pump set
  • USD 1,636 for purchasing drip system technology
  • USD 546 for purchasing seeds and insecticides
  • USD 999 for purchasing plant vitamins and staking poles and string
  • USD 228 for blog development and information provision

Later on, this initiative will embark to phase III (from April to May 2017) for connecting trained youth and other peasant individuals to financial institutions or companies for loan or farming tools access.

Join forces together! 

Blogpost and picture submitted by Mohamed Malembo (Tanzania): malembom[at]yahoo.com

The content, structure and grammar are at the discretion of the author only.

This post is published as proposal #124 of “YAP” – our “Youth Agripreneur Project”.

The first selection of the winners will be based on the number of comments, likes and views each proposal gets.

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“YAP” is part of the #GCARD3 process, the third Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development.

 

 

 

885 thoughts on “YAP proposal #124: Vegetable Farming for Improved Production Economy (VeFIPE) (Mohamed Malembo, Tanzania)”

    1. It’s true when policy put youth at the center and considering all important areas of developing the agri sector like farmers requirements and market prices of the produces

  1. Very good idea I need to know more about this project, I have good land near mto wame just a few meters from the river in bagamoyo . we can also discuss how to support the project , we also have a fish farm with good water for the vegetables near the river,water from the fish ponds is good for farmers growing vegetables.

    1. This is extensive agri project idea that requires to add solution on youth unemployment. It needs to attract more number of young and adult ones in the sector. It operates for stage I, but seeks for more support to other stages. Yes, it is great you have farmland near wami (bagamoyo), doing fishing and others.. still you have a room to support the idea for the sector improvement and employment provision to the growing population..

  2. Surely I like Mohamed Malebo’s proposal. It is smart and strategic towards addressing the acute need of youth in Tanzania, unemployment in particular. Whoever with passion to support would select this project for financing.

  3. Is a fantastic idea, it is realistic and viable, wish this project to get total support from different angle, green revolution is possible I came to realise,

  4. Well well done brother Malembo. You inspiring us youth who just steat in streets wandering around while there are valuable resources like land which can make us rich financialy and even healthy..
    God bless you brother for the competion.

  5. congratulation for your plan..you hav changed dream.into reality. best success bro malembo

  6. Brilliant initiative to combat poverty and ensure food security. All the best my friend.

  7. I see valuable on this idea. thus,it will solve most of economic problem such as unemployment. Last but not least,this idea is not only for malembo but for developing country as well as world.

    1. Solar pump is applied instead of using oil for operating water pump. Solar panel converts sunlights to electrical forms that later help water pump to pull water from the river or well thus the project will reduce oil operating cost..

  8. Beautful one…I was wondering if we could apply the respective idea in Dodoma though its a dry area but stil initiatives mentioned would make it more possible.
    Waiting for implimantation.
    Good lucky.

    1. Yes, we hope when it reaches at expansion time probably we may use wells for irrigation in Dodoma because of its semi desert. Supports are very important at this stage..

  9. well done mohamed, you have a good idea and i think we can share your idea inorder to improve our agriculture sector

  10. How the project going to connect youth and these financial institutions?? What are strategies still not exactly got the point over the line, I have forgotten to ask but I found is a very valuable question to add up the knowledge to I first and then to the rest who are highly interested to your fantabolus idea

  11. It is a good project, but my concern is how to connect the youth to financial institutions, can you give more breakdown. This is a very serious ploblem.

  12. It is well known that youth and other people lack important information about financial services for development activities just to mention. Recently, institutions like SACCOS and other Trust Fund provide loans to legal groups that are dealing with income generating activities. Through this initiative, legal youth and other peasant groups will be formed with intention of connecting or allocating them to financial institutions like as outlined above for micro loans furthermore we have agri bank that also will be utilized in the initiative..

  13. ooh it’s good idea bro i support it our youth will get self employment and avoid enderdependant from big politicians and iddlers in streets.

  14. Where are you mohamed?, i need to share your idea with you because its so good project..

  15. Goog idea and its good to know where are and where you practice this idea…up in all congrates

    1. I am in Morogoro Tanzania, i have started phase one: awareness provision on the challenges and opportunies in agricultural sector..here we seek for support to be ready for phase two..see my email above for more talks.

    1. Yes Asmah, i am in Morogoro Tanzania..i accept that we can share the idea to make girls and boys participate in farming sector..cheers!

  16. It wl created job to many youth if sterted in tanzania coz we av rivers n dumz 4 irrigation

  17. Good bussnes and it may helps to reduce the problem of unemployment facing in our societies

    1. youth will be helped through provision of training knowledge that will make them able to involve in the agricultural sector by farming, processing agri outputs, marketing and in other ways introducing their agri venture then use the concept of ict i agri sector as you have ready from the proposal above

    1. true say zamra, here we need to rise interest for youth like agricultural sector since it wil give employment through farming, processing or marketing

  18. Nice one, may you chek me though my email emac443@gmail, i need more infomation about your udea…good idea

  19. I like your project because its really nice and its may gives chance to our youth to participate in agriculture sector….nice

  20. Big up brother for your nice plan, surely we support it but just keep our dreams to became really though this…

  21. You have all my prayers, for sure the idea is at the top, your education level explain you well through this idea

  22. Interesting project, i think your idea will get the victory…coz it may reduce the problem of unempolyment in the societies..

  23. Wonderful plan, i need to know more even short explaination from you please… But good project

  24. Good plan, your idea will never fail coz its about what everyday we hustle to practise..

    1. yas project connected to ICT it is expected to use mobile phones, networked computers, Televisions, Newspapers, articles and other related to provide essential information on agricultural sector like availability of improved seeds, marketing details on product, prices, weather and others

    1. : The role of ict is to; provide information about new findings in agricultural sector for example presence of improved seeds , search and provide marketing details for farm outputs and other important information through the use of mobilephones, networked computers, televisions, newspapers, articles and alike.

  25. Well done and good job,Mr.Malembo.This project is very useful to Tanzanian youth as it will generate/create employment also increase the knowledge of youth and society as whole on Horticultural farming.Well done!!!

  26. Hello.. I want to join the project as youth.. My friend and I are organized for that.. I will thank if you consider.

    1. contact via facebook page of my organization (LENEC) Local Entrepreneurship Network and Environment Conservation

  27. fine, agriculture will give employment if youth themselves shall get into this and other programs

    1. yaaas!! cause the project has got phases among of it is implementation phase of which in future days is going to experience expansion so we are going to meet you over there,

    1. welcome,you can reach through facebook page of my organization from there we can secure great bond for more steps

  28. Pretty initiative, how about market for tomatoes, sweet peppers and onions in Tanzania and East Africa?

    1. 100% it is going to add up to the efforts of the government in solving youth unemployment problems

    1. after being implemented in Morogoro specifically mvomero District there will be an expansion arrangement for it so bare that in your mind..

    1. through the laws and it’s policies which are in practice currently through LGA’s, currently government has good arrangement to cooperate with youths in adding up the solutions towards reducing youths unemployment challenges via this sector, so there is total support on that

    1. you are welcome am going to arrange for that so we can see how we are going to mingle together

  29. From a humble beginning to doing things that truly matters! You are a true inspirational figure that every youngster needs to look up on. Very good idea, just splendid!

    1. find my organization page on facebook that is Local entrepreneurship Network and Environment Conservation from there it will be simple for us to communicate… you are welcome

  30. Wonderful project, if i will get the chance to join with you . surely i will practice it well as you will need…..

    1. ok don’t worry for that there will be such arrangement in future and see how we are going to involve many youths as possible

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