Origin and Purpose of District TrainingThe Tanzania Fertilizer Partnership (TFP) Fast Track is a program that aims at improving fertilizer value chain operation in Tanzania and that would lead to increased agricultural production and productivity as well. The Agricultural Council of Tanzania (ACT) coordinates this program with 11 components and NORAD provides financial support.
District Training is one of the programme components and EDC (Enterprise Development Centre) implemented this component. The training was intended to impart skills in the use of agricultural inputs with emphasis on fertilizer and quality seeds, and the use of credit facilities. The anticipated outcome would be better application of fertilizer and quality seeds, sourcing and proper management of credit facilities leading to higher productivity and better prices. In turn these would result into improved people’s standard of living.
Training Targets and Content
The training targeted farmers, stockists, district act
ors and financing institutions including SACCOS and commercial banks as these were considered central to the program’s impact on improving fertilizer value chain operation in the country.Five districts covered by this program were Mbeya Rural, Mbarali, Mufindi, Kilombero and Songea Rural and targeted groups included farmers’ representatives, fertilizer stockists and distributors, commercial bank branch managers and micro-finance institutions’ staff, NGOs, CBOs, local government officials and other development workers.
- Stakeholders’ Sensitization and Awarenes
- Technical Training to enhance proper use of basic agricultural inputs
- Business Management Skills
- Credit Mobilisation and Linkages
- Follow-up and reporting.
As pointed out before, at the end of each training course all participants were requested to evaluate the training using 7 pre-determined factors and Table shows the summary results of all the evaluations. On the whole, the participants were very
happy with the training and the excellent scores ranged from 93% to 66% while poor grading was observed for only one factor, that is, the workshop environment by only 3% of the participants. Training materials and delivery of training by facilitators each was rated excellent by 93% of the participants. “The two trainers Mr. Basike and Mr. Mosha did an excellent job and the facilities at Changarawe Mission were very good”. This was how Mr. Joel Straus confirmed the facilitators’ performance and the training environment when he attended the training at Mafinga in February 2007.The participants also made additional observations concerning the training and the most
frequent comments made are shown in below. The recommendations that featured highly included the need for such training to be conducted on regular basis and the extension of the training duration.Methodology
In carrying out this assignment EDC collaborated with Dunduliza, SIDO, District Coordinators and other district actors. The training was conducted in a very participatory manner and participants had opportunities to share their own experiences.
Achievements and Results
Outputs: A total of 1,647 people* participated in this training co
mponent. Women participants accounted for 33% of all trainees but ranges from 18% for Sensitization and Awareness Creation to 37% for Business Management.
Skills and Knowledge
The training achieved its intended objective; that is, imparting skills and knowledge to participants. This was mentioned by the participants themselves during the evaluation exercises conducted at the end of each training session. Also, the ACT Monitoring Team and the Quality Control Adviser pointed out this success.
Another outcome of this training was the application of acquired skills and knowledge through the establishment of demonstration plots on which the trainees used fertilizer and quality seeds. Some farmers were able to buy non-subsidized fertilizer instead of relying on subsidized inputs from local bodies/authorities. Regular meetings of the ex-trainees facilitated the sharing of experiences and transfer of knowledge and skills to other farmers’ groups. More SACCOS and Stockiest Associations have been established as the result of TFP Fast Track Training program.
