Horticulture farmers have long complained of lack of expertise in the production, handling and transportation of produce from the farm. Horticulture has traditionally been grown for subsistence use but recently has been turned into cash crops.

Farmers believe the coming up of a joint project, dubbed  ‘Value Web Horticulture and Income Growth’ or Viungo Project which is a collaboration between government and civil society organizations, will end the problems.

“This project has come to liberate organic vegetable and fruit growers, we believe now we will prosper,” said Haji Ramadhani Issa chairman of the Zanzibar Vegetable and Fruit Growers Association (UWAMWIMA).

The association was established with the aim to help fruit and vegetable growers, who have long complained on the access to market and expertise in agriculture.

Currently, the association has more than 90 members operating from the agriculture industry which employ more than 90 percent of the Zanzibar population.

He said there are many other problems to be addressed including isolation from the international markets which makes famers rely on domestic markets only which are however uncertain.

The association members including women produce a number of fruits and vegetables like avocados, passion fruits, bell pepper, chili pepper, tomatoes and vanilla.

“The problem is affecting many fruit and vegetable growers,” said Haji adding that lack of a reliable market for their farm produce was also a big challenge.

The Research and Monitoring Manager, Ali Mbarouk, the project is jointly implemented by the People Development Forum (PDF), Community Pemba Forest (CPF) and Tanzania Media Women Association (Tamwa-Zanzibar) targeting 21,000 farm growers from 50 shehias of Unguja and Pemba Islands.

He said the project main objective is to bring together almost all stakeholders involved in the farm production as well as increase the quality of production, nutrition and food security.

“Our partners, the Canada-based Community International Forest (CFI), have pledged to support us in finding markets for our farm produce,” he said, adding,

Nahla Abdulhalim Mohamed, Crosscutting Issues Officer at North ‘B’ Unguja Town Council, said that the project will be helpful for the district’s fruit and vegetable farmers.

Makame Kitwana Makame, Assistant Director (Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment) at Unguja Central District, said that if the project was properly implemented farmers would get many benefits.

One of the farmers, Semeni Hamada Simai from Mtende village in Unguja South district anticipated the project will change the lives of many villagers.

Mwanaidi Mussa from CPF said the project targets women, youth and men in which”53% of the beneficiaries will be women, 33percent are youth and the remaining are men,” she said.

“After the implementation of the four-year project, we expect that there will be major reforms in the agricultural and export sectors, “she said.

She added there was need to ensure that exporters meet the demand, and called for continuous efforts to sustain quality produce.

Read original article

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of TradeMark Africa.