Investing in smallholder farming is key to combating poverty in East Africa. Prosperity depends on making agriculture work better, using natural resources well, creating strong markets for what farmers produce and facilitating access to finance to grow agri-businesses. Almost half the world’s extreme poor live in sub-Saharan Africa. The vast majority work in agriculture in rural areas. But agricultural yields and profits are a fraction of their potential. The region is full of opportunities for growth, including much fertile land and water, and millions of smallholder farmers who are eager for change. Agrifund works with smallholders to develop practical solutions that work locally and can be replicated elsewhere.
We help rural communities growing crops such as oilseeds, root crops, cereal, pulses, vegetables and rearing livestock to increase the quality and quantity of what they produce and build their links to markets, while protecting the environment for years to come.
Building on over 9 years’ experience of supporting farmers in eastern Africa, Agrifund helps smallholder farmers to:
- Use market informationto produce food that is in high demand.
- Use climate informationto adapt farming practices to climate extremes such as drought and flooding.
- Access high-quality agricultural inputs, such as improved seeds, fertiliser, irrigation and animal feed, and gain access to the finance needed to buy them.
- Learn by doing.We help farmers groups learn about good agricultural practices on demonstration plots managed by other farmers and Farmer Training Centres.
- Boost productivity.The use of high-quality agricultural inputs, good agricultural practices and good animal husbandry means farmers can increase the volumes of crop they produce per hectare and the productivity of their livestock.
- Reduce food loss. Storing produce in waterproof sacks in moisture-controlled warehouses, preserving produce like chillies using solar dryers and building links to markets are some of the ways farmers can reduce post-harvest losses, meaning higher incomes and a lower carbon footprint.
- Improve marketing.Aggregating crops and selling them in bulk, or adding value to produce by processing and packaging it, such as producing oil from sunflower seeds or making butter from milk, are ways that farmers can attract buyers and secure higher prices.
Climate-smart agriculture (CSA) helps farmers to manage their resources in ways which protect ecosystems and reduce agriculture’s contribution to climate change. By promoting new methods and technologies, the five-year Improving Smallholder Livelihoods through Climate-Smart Agricultural Economic Development project aimed to alleviate poverty and build resilient, sustainable livelihoods in Uganda and South Sudan regions.
CSA also aims to help farmers boost their profits, supporting business growth and the development of stronger value chains. By promoting diversification and the growth of cash crops such as coffee, this project encouraged agricultural intensification which is both profitable and environmentally friendly. agroecological methods adapted to the specific ecosystem.
Smallholder farmers in East Africa are hit hardest by the effects on climate change. One of Agrifund most important tasks is to provide trainings and advice on how smallholder farmers can adapt to climate change. By employing Sustainable Agriculture and Land Management methods, the farmers can continue to develop their farming methods, despite drought and flooding, and ensure the families access to food. Sustainable agriculture based on agroforestry, growing trees among crops, is multi-functional and diversified and based on.
Pastoralism is a vital part of the African economy – 66% of Africa’s land is used to graze animals. Animals are generally a family’s most valuable asset, providing dairy products to sell, pulling power for farm ploughs and transport for the family. Many of the continent’s poorest farmers earn their livings by selling livestock and animal products.
Yet while this is very traditional way of life, there are also new opportunities for farmers to make money. But livestock farmers face huge challenges in taking advantage of these opportunities – they have no technical advice, limited access to markets and lack the high-quality feed and vaccines needed to keep their animals healthy.
Agrifund gives farmers the advice and the products they need through training sessions, farming cooperatives and supporting Community Animal Health Workers. Because when they have the right support, pastoralists can increase their incomes and work their way out of poverty.
Livestock for livelihoods
The problem
The drylands of South Sudan Easten Equatoria state and Uganda’s Karamoja sub-region are home to thousands of pastoralists who migrate with their livestock in search of pasture. In both locations, disease, drought and degraded grasslands have cut the size of herds, exacerbating high levels of poverty and malnutrition.
In East Equatoria and Karamoja, goat rearing is common but unproductive. Goats are traditionally farmed for their meat, so local breeds yield little milk. A lack of suitable fodder, particularly in the dry season, and poor access to veterinary and breeding services limits milk production.
Goats are often managed by women and goats’ meat and milk is a rich source of protein and nutrients. However, pastoralist women’s low social and economic status, together with poor knowledge about nutrition, means that women often struggle to translate improved goat production into the consumption of nutritious foods and increased household income.
What did we do?
Agrifund worked with pastoralist women living in South Sudan in the Greater Kapoeta and Karamoja, supporting them to set up sustainable, small-scale goat-rearing enterprises that will help them generate an income and provide their families with a more nutritious diet. This was achieved by:
Supporting women to rear goats
Agrifund established Women’s Livestock Groups, through which we provided training in goat rearing and fodder and rangeland management to women in Uganda and South Sudan.
We improved women’s access to livestock by setting up a revolving goat scheme, which required each woman who receives two goats from Agrifund to give two does (female goats) to another vulnerable woman once her herd had grown, creating a cycle of improved prosperity.
Agrifund helped the Women’s Livestock Groups establish Village Saving and Loan Associations, where women unite to save and make funds available to invest in each other’s businesses.
The project taught women how to add value to their livestock business through training in goat breeding, fattening and the production of goats’ milk products.
This project also helped women aggregate their produce so they can sell in bulk and command a higher price for their goods.
Through a blend of targeted communication activities, this project inspired, educated and empowered women to consume more goats’ milk and improve dietary choices for their families.
Women’s Livestock Groups provided a platform for women to come together and share experiences, discuss common problems and develop solutions to improving nutrition, child and maternal health, and goat production.
Agrifund helped vets and community animal healthcare workers expand their operations and deliver vital veterinary services to local livestock keepers.
Most breeds of goat native to these areas are hardy, but produce little in the way of milk. Agrifund established community-run goat breeding stations where high-yielding dairy goats that are suited to the local landscape and climate can be bred and sold. And at the same time, we established buck rearing stations where goat owners can bring their local does to crossbreed them
The problem
Demand for fish in Uganda is increasing rapidly due to population growth, rising disposable incomes and increased awareness about the nutritional benefits of fish. But the country’s wild fisheries are struggling to meet demand.
Despite being fraught with impediments in policy and market systems development, the Uganda aquaculture industry has the potential to fill the existing supply gap and spur socio-economic development by increasing employment opportunities and boosting incomes for fish farmers.
What are we doing?
- Increase the availability and accessibility of affordable protein-rich food by promoting sustainable fish farming practices in rural communities.
- Improve the nutritional status of households, particularly for children and vulnerable populations, through regular fish consumption.
- Create new income-generating opportunities for rural households by supporting the establishment of fish farming enterprises.
- Strengthen economic resilience and reduce poverty in rural communities by diversifying income streams through aquaculture.
- Provide training and capacity-building programs for farmers on fish farming techniques, water management, feeding practices, and disease control.
- Facilitate access to technical support and extension services to enhance the productivity and sustainability of fish farming operations.
- Promote environmentally friendly and sustainable fish farming practices to minimize negative impacts on local water bodies and ecosystems.
- Implement strategies for water conservation, quality management, and ecosystem preservation in rural aquaculture systems.
- Develop efficient supply chains and improve market access for fish farmers by linking them with local and regional markets.
- Encourage value addition through processing, packaging, and marketing of fish products to increase profitability and market competitiveness.
- Empower women, youth, and marginalized groups by promoting their participation in fish farming activities and decision-making processes.
- Address gender disparities by providing equal access to resources, training, and financial services for women and youth in rural fish farming.
- Enhance access to affordable credit, microfinance, and input supplies (fingerlings, feed, and equipment) to support small-scale fish farmers.
- Partner with local financial institutions and development organizations to create financing schemes tailored to fish farmers in rural areas.
- Promote climate-resilient fish farming practices, such as integrated aquaculture-agriculture systems and the use of climate-smart technologies.
- Develop strategies to reduce the vulnerability of fish farming to climate variability, such as water scarcity and changing rainfall patterns.
Pond Management
Preparation of new pond for stocking
- Final finishing (for new ponds), removal of mud and repairs (old ponds)
- Liming the pond
- Fixing pipes and screens
- Fertilising the pond
- Filling the pond with water
- Allowing time for the pond to turn green