The aim of the training was to familiarize selected DAECD instructors and the Sokoine University alumni members to SHEP approaches and practical SAA models.

A total of 17 participants delegated from DAECD alumni, TANSHEP and DAECD teaching staff participated in the training. The trained participants are expected to cascade the training on SHEP and field level models to an estimated target of 1,567 alumni and current students as well as 600 farmer households around the vicinity of the University.

In relation to this, the Department of Agricultural Extension and Community Development immediately signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Tanzania Network of Farmers Groups (MVIWATA) in which the training on SHEP approach constitutes one of the deliverables by the Department.

The training projected presentations focused on the  SHEP Approach which were followed by related discussions that revolved on transforming agriculture from “Grow and Sell” to “Grow to Sell” along with building commercial linkages among key SHEP’s stakeholders with experience from the TANSHEP. In addition,  core values of the approach including (but not limited to) autonomy (feeling in control), competence (mastery of the environment) and relatedness (belonging), market survey, feedback and discussion were part of the training.

Sasakawa Africa Association and Sokoine University of Agriculture have been partners since 1998 in order to develop and implement demand driven, value chain oriented Agricultural Extension curriculum to train mid-career Agricultural Extension workers from the public and private sector in Tanzania.

A unique component of the mid-career programme is the value chain oriented supervised enterprise project that students in the program implement with farmers in the rural communities to solve problems on different segments of the value chain as projects that are later transformed to Agro enterprises that farmers can run and earn incomes to improve their livelihoods.

The overall goal of SHEP approach is to improve the livelihood of smallholder horticulture producers. The approach specifically aims at empowering smallholder farmers (SHFs) in the market-oriented agriculture of horticultural crops. In Tanzania the approach is run under TANSHEP and has gone ahead in translating training material into Swahili language.

SAA has been supporting small-scale farmers along the value chain through enhancing national agricultural extension system and building capacity of mid-career extension staff with 29 partner universities and agricultural colleges in 11 Africa countries.

Story Credit : Sasakawa Africa Association website