AFAP common bean farmer field days attract young farmers (updated May 2017)

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• by Duncan Sones

25 November 2016 Young farmers – under the age of 35 – were the predominant group attending the farmer field days at the common bean demonstration plots this season. In seven of the 15 field days – under 35 year olds made up over 90% of the attenders. Overall 86% of the farmers attending the training days were under 35.

David Kijazi, project manager at the Africa Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) explains: “The training events were for farmers, extension teams and agrodealers to learn about improved legume technologies. 16 demonstration plots showcased new varieties Jesca and Uyole-Njano and showed the increase in yield that the application of phosphorus fertilizer could achieve. The nitrogen fixing qualities of legumes are well know amongst farmers, leading them to believe that beans don’t need fertilizer. These events showed farmers the impact the right fertilizer application can make to yields. Our challenge now is to work with agro-dealers to satisfy the demand for improved seed and fertilizer, especially with younger farmers.”

Photograph credit AFAP: Left to right – planting the demonstration plot at Rombo (Kidondoni), tending the demonstration plot at Moshi Rural (Kiruweni) and the farmer field day at Iringa (Ifwagi)

Despite the perception that common beans are a women’s crop, women’s attendance at the events was more varied. In some events attendance was a low 17% and in others it went as high as 60%. There was not detectable trend in regions – often there are significant variations between the two events in the same region – some attracting lots of women, others very few.

The average number of people attending the events was 76 people – however- nine events attracted 45 people or fewer- and three events attracted over 185 people.

David Kijazi, noted, “We worked with colleagues in the extension service at regional and local levels to place the demonstration plots in the right places. The extension teams also helped us to recruit the farmers for the training events. The gender of the farmers, as defined by age and sex, varied considerably between the events. We need more closely at the recruitment approaches and other factors to see if we can account for why some events are more diverse than others and why young people, in particular, attended these events in such numbers.”

In several cases we know the answer. In Mbeya Rural district in Mbeya region, the demo plot is owned by a group of 22 women. This translated into 12 women attending the field day (55% of the group were women). The demonstration plot in Namtumbo district, Ruvuma region is owned by a woman – this translated into 18 women attending (60% of total attenders).

This table  is based on data provided by AFAP. Note – training could not take place at one of the demonstration plots because the crop had been heavily damaged by adverse weather conditions.

The original posted of 3 August 2016 finished here – content added on the 25 November 2016 is shown below:

Breakdown of how the 1,508 training materials were distributed: 

• Extension at Regional and District level: 125 copies 
  • The regional agriculture officer received 5 copies
  • District agricultural officers received 5 copies thus 10 copies for the two districts in the region
  • 22 rural extension officers received 5 copies each during trainings in Makambako and Arusha
• Extension at village level: 640 copies
  • Village extension officers each received 40 copies thus 80 copies for the 2 villages in the 8 region for distributed to farmers
• Agro-dealers level: 154 copies
  • 7 hub agro-dealers who each received 10 copies
  • 14 other agro-dealers during trained in Makambako and Arusha each received 6 copies thus a
• Distributed to farmers during farmers’ field day:  589 copies

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