Mr Dickson Ndaka, a 63 year old outstanding cassava farmer, is now able to raise school fees for his daughter and provide other basic needs for his family. This was after Cassava commercialization was introduced in Eastern Kenya by Farm Concern International, FCI in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) and Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO). 

At the beginning, Mr. Ndaka put 2 acres of land under cassava production hoping to get good returns. From the positive results, he decided to increase the acreage under cassava production to 4 acres. From the increase in acreage, he harvested over 6 tonnes of cassava earning a total of Kshs. 132,000 (Ksh. 96,000 from fresh cassava roots and Ksh 36,000 from cassava seeds/cuttings). 

When speaking to FCI staff, Mr. Ndaka noted that he was hesitant in the beginning because growing large scale cassava is not a common practice in the community, having witnessed for many years farmers growing local cassava varieties and selling to local traders earning very little income. 

However, Farm Concern International worked with Kiuuku Commercial Village where Mr. Ndaka is the chairman and committed to link farmers to markets for cassava and other value chains. The farmers were then introduced to KME2 and XMariakani improved cassava varieties that do well in Semi-Arid areas, which yielded good profits. Besides linking the farmers with buyers, they were also trained on Good Agronomic Practices such as land preparation, planting, spacing, weeding and use of improved cassava varieties among other topics.

Traditional African Vegetables (TAVs) have become a lucrative business in Zomba, Malawi; a result of TAVs commercialization campaigns by Farm Concern International, FCI under the Malawi Domestic Markets Programme which is funded by Bill and Melinda Gates oundation.

Ganazio has been growing maize and other vegetables for years and when Farm Concern International introduced TAVs farming, he was selected to be one of the 20 seed multipliers for Commercial Villages. Previously amaranthus vegetables were termed as a wild crop that usually grew on itself in rainy season. This local variety is bitter and very few farmers could let it grow in their fields for food let alone for commercial purposes.  FCI introduced farmers to improved amaranthus seed from Bvumbwe Research Station which has no bitter taste.

Mr. Ganazio tending his Amaranthus garden

When FCI trained the farmers on commercialization of TAVs, many farmers were interested but they had no access to improved seed. Mr Makanani was selected as a seed multiplier after looking at how organized and hardworking he was. He planted two teaspoons of the improved amaranthus seed and Okra. This gave him 850 grams and 1000 grams of early maturing amaranthus and Okra seed respectively. The seeds were sold to 50 farmers in his Commercial Village. During 2012/13 growing season he realized MK 18,000 ($53.00) from the seed and continues to multiply seed for the other members.

Apart from multiplying TAV seed, he also set aside some stands of amaranthus for household consumption. “Amaranthus is a nutritious vegetable rich in vitamin C and Iron so says the nutrition specialist and I am happy to consume it because I know the value it will give to my body” he said. Other crops grown on his farm include cabbages, maize, beans and cassava. His farming has earned him profits that he has invested in an iron sheet roofed house and also participates in Village Savings and Loans scheme that enables him timely acquisition of farm inputs.

Mr. Ganazio seeks market his Seed multiplication business in the nearby villages and make more money, through commercialization of TAVs in large scale.

Kimironko market is a newly built market in the east of Kigali City that sells different consumer products including fresh foods. It serves the upscale suburbs of Kigali and is known for providing good quality fresh produce including Irish potatoes used in Hotels, Kiosks, Restaurants and Bars. Many of its clients want quality and are willing to pay for it. Good quality Irish Potatoes however are grown in Kinigi and before the intervention of Farm Concern International, FCI under the Rwanda Domestic Markets Programme funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, it was difficult for traders to get the quality they wanted. Traders had to go at night to the Irish Potato Market in the West of Kigali or travel to Kinigi to ensure they had the quality they wanted. It was both costly and inconveniencing either way.  

Produce Traders in Kimironko Market

FCI started by carrying out market research in Kigali City before organizing Village Business Forums (VBF) and Market Exposure (ME) for both market Traders and Farmers. This led to increased trust before individual farmers and traders signed mutual contracts or agreements of partnerships thereby eliminating brokers/middlemen who caused uncertainties by speculating and causing volatility in the marketing system. 

Due to its location, Kimironko market traders can buy and sell 15,000 Kgs of Irish Potatoes per day.  Nowadays farmers from Kinigi in Northwest Rwanda do not need to travel to Kigali because they only need to use their phone and communicate with their trade partners in Kigali, agree on prices and volumes and prepare the commodity as agreed. This has helped both farmers and traders to save and plan better. 

According to Marie Louise, one the Traders in Kimironko Market introduced by FCI to Institutions in Kigali as part of its Commercialization drive, the partnerships save money for both farmers and traders. According to her, “instead of farmers loading their produce in lorries in the hope that markets will favor them, today farmers know how much they will sell, for how much and to whom even before they go to their gardens to harvest. Traders on the other hand simply call and the produce will be at their doorstep the next morning.

Dufatanye Commercial Producer Group (CPG) is an Irish potato Farmers’ Cooperative from Nyarubande Cell in the Northern Province of Rwanda. Dufatanye CPG is made up of 53 members and owns 62 acres of land for Irish Potato growing. The CPG was formed after commercialization Campaigns by Farm Concern International, FCI under the Rwanda Domestic Markets Programme funded by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Members of Dufatanye CPG during one of their meetings.

Mr. Munyangeri, the Chairman of Dufatanye CPG remembers the difficulties they faced in accessing market and trade information. According to him, “households did not own domestic small vegetable plots (locally referred to as kitchen gardens) for domestic consumption; farmers lacked the confidence to venture into regional markets like Kigali with their produce and traders, in most cases brokers imposed prices on produce.”

“The introduction of the Programme by Farm Concern International (FCI) particularly market linkage has facilitated us to be able to supply our commodities to Kigali markets specifically in Kabuga, Nyabugogo and Kimironko markets earning us better prices. This is done through Village Business Forums (VBF) and business exposure visits. Trade in Irish potatoes is more organized and we are benefiting from the linkages created since we are able to bypass middleman.”

Through partnerships with traders from the different markets in Kigali created through VBFs introduced by FCI smallholder farmers can access real-time price information.  According to him, “we have been trained to save and we have so far saved up USD 10,000 with the local Sector  SACCO in accordance with the Government of Rwanda Program.  From the year 2012, we have invested USD 8,500 in building an irish potato Village Aggregation Centre and an agro input store in our village. We intend to have saved USD 12,000 by the end of 2013 with which we plan to open other stores in other places”.