In a bid to promote knowledge sharing amongst its partners, early this month- May 2019, AMDT organized a second national level sunflower cross-projects learning event that brought together project co-facilitators, private sector actors and other players involved in the Sunflower Program Component.
The event, which was held in Mbeya under SNV coordination, was the second of its type with strong focus on what the private sector needed to learn regarding the delivery of critical services such as finance, seeds, ICT and extension work to smallholder women, men and youth. The first event was held in October 2018 as a platform for knowledge sharing on best practices championed by AMDT, gathered during the pilot phase of the sunflower program.
The essence of this learning event was to share practical experiences for the purpose of improving service and product delivery to farmers and increasing returns on investment for farmers and other market actors in the models being tested.
The meeting, which was very interactive, brought together 70 participants from the government, private companies, services providers, representatives of various SME processor associations and smallholder farmers as well as AMDT program staff. Participants had opportunity to share their experiences on how various models help in the delivery of productive assets and services to smallholder farmers and processors. They were able to share what went well and what did not in more than 18 cases covering 15 regions in Tanzania where AMDT has interventions under sunflower portfolio.
Among the delivery models highlighted in thematic learning areas were seed distribution models involving seed companies BYTRADE, SDC and ASA using agro dealers, large zonal distribution centres, paraprofessionals and lead farmers. AMDT had a seed multiplication model developed through collaboration with Ilonga Agricultural Research Institute.
Key lessons from the event included the need for more synergy and collaboration amongst private sector companies in the project consortiums for the benefit of farmers. Such collaboration was demonstrated by YARA and BYTRADE collaborating to promote their products through demo plots and extension officers, and MAWENZI Insurance bundling insurance with local seed suppliers.
Companies have continued to exhibit innovative, more sustainable service and product delivery practices in such things like last mile seed distribution and awareness raising on agricultural insurance, soil testing services, etc. These innovations benefit smallholder farmers as well as most of the market actors.