The Alliance for Agricultural Development promotes grassroots-based organisational development for agricultural production and processing. The company works with 3,500 farmers (of whom 35% are women) in the Gushiegu and Karaga districts of the Northern Region. Most of the farmers cultivate an average of 3 acres and a very few cultivate up to 15 acres. The company also provides training to farmers; supports farmers with inputs (seeds, fertiliser and weedicides) and services (ploughing and threshing); aggregates produce from farmers; and links farmers to reliable markets. The Alliance for Agricultural Development went into partnership with MADE in 2015 and has since aggregated 3,600 MT of maize, 2,400 MT of rice, 500 MT of soybeans and 350 MT of groundnuts.
MADE interventions
- Recruited, trained and deployed three Farm Enterprise Advisors (FEAs) and one FEA manager, responsible for group sensitisation on good agricultural practices.
- Facilitated links with tractor services.
- Provided demonstrations and training on good agricultural practices.
- Facilitated relationships with other MADE partners for complementary inputs and services.
- Supported underserved farmers using extension services from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture by supervising farmers’ fields, from planting to harvest.
Impacts
- Increased smallholder outreach from 550 to 3,500 between 2014 and 2019.
- Increased access to inputs, credit, markets and extension services.
- Increased understanding of good agricultural practices and proper application of agro-inputs.
- Facilitated timely application of inputs.
- Improved financial forecasting and planning for smallholders, which made input acquisition timely.
- Increased rice crop yields from 3.5 to 9.5 bags (200 kg) per acre.
