Utete, TZ – Group Cassava loan – 4 Oct 2013

A group of 20 farmers from the Kindwitwi community requested a Garden Loan for cassava seedlings to plant 20 acres of land.  They were unable to buy the seedlings or pay for their delivery but could clear the land, plant the seedlings, spray pesticide and harvest.  They forecasted that they could earn a net income of approximately 500,000 TZS / US$300 per farmer after repaying a Garden Loan.

The group of twenty needed five of their families, who had started organic vegetable gardens, to qualify for a Garden Loan.  These families had their gardens assessed using the following garden best practice guidelines:

Structure

• Pathways clear to give quick and easy access to the beds for weeding, watering and pest control
• Maximize the use of space in the beds with correct spacing between the plants
• Intercropping two or more vegetables on one bed to confuse pests, feed the soil, and produce more vegetables
• Permanent moringa and fruit trees placed around the garden where they will not shade the beds too much

Protection

• Fenced to protect against animals
• Insect controlling plants maintained in and around the garden
• Inter-cropping within beds to confuse the bugs
• Correct plant spacing because too close spacing provides attractive shelter for many types of pest
• Weeded, clean and clear pathways so that pests are not attracted by weeds

Productivity

• Beds and pathways weeded so that weeds do not consume plant food and water
• Beds watered
• Organic fertilizer sprayed on plants regularly to improve plant health and productivity
• Raised bed shape and sustainability maintained with applications of mulch, compost and rice hull charcoal to provide proper drainage so that plants will not be flooded when there is too much rain
• Relay planting vegetables of different harvest duration (3, 6 and 12 months) for continuous harvesting throughout the year, and risk management if one or more crop fails.

The families chosen to qualify the group were the MHK, ATN, OTM, AMN, and FRT families.

MHK family garden

ATN family garden

OTM family garden

AMN family garden

FRT family garden

All of the gardens met the criteria first time except the MHK and ATN family gardens, which needed more insect repellant plants.  The MHK and ATN families added the plants, and now the group has received the loan and is working hard preparing the land.  They are very excited about planting in November!