IITA, Tusumuke Signs Special Pact To Execute Maize, Poultry Project -

By STAFF REPORTER

THE International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has entered into a special contract with the Dodoma-based youth entrepreneur group, Tusumuke, for the implementation of a grand agro project on maize value chain and poultry.

Targeting to benefit the entrepreneur youth in Kondoa district and Dodoma City, the robust project plans to train at least 1,000 youth farmers on maize value chain and poultry production technologies.

The beneficiary youths, as per the project’s design, will also receive key training on agribusiness concepts along the value chain of maize, poultry and business plan development.

Giving an exclusive interview over the development, Tusumuke’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Christopher Dioniz said the project will also entail a special package of supporting the trained youth (including women farmers) with agribusiness loan application skills, as well as how to tap other financial opportunities.

“Among our key roles in the project involve the major task to register all the youth/farmers who will be trained by IITA youth program, but also, to provide them with further technical support,” he expressed.

And he unveiled that, in the implementation of the project, apart from IITA, the group,Tusumuke, will work in partnership with ENABLE Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation Program (TAAT) project, the key initiative which is funded by the the African Development Bank (AfDB) and led by the IITA.

“Through cooperation with ENABLE TAAT project/IITA, we have been tasked to run a sensitization campaign towards at least 1000 youth farmers over the TAAT’s technologies and opportunities in agribusiness through advocacy events as well as open farmers field days,” the CEO detailed.

Since 2012 IITA has been implementing a youth in agribusiness program (Youth Agripreneur) that runs its activities in different countries within Sub- Saharan Africa, including the IITA’s Agriculture-Tanzania Youth Agriculture (TYA).

Tanzania Youth Agripreneurs (TYA) combines professional graduate’s youth from different fields and disadvantaged youth aged between 18-35 years.

TYA started its chapter in March 2014 with the prime focus on getting youth together to set-up and run successful agriculture business (agribusiness) and become job creators rather than job seekers.

Throughout the initiative, more than 2000 youth and farmers in the country have so far been trained and reach out on different commodities value chain, whereby through close and successful collaboration with NMB Foundation, the program has trained youth and women/farmers on financial management to qualify them for agribusiness loans in Kinondoni Municipal.

Moreover, capacity building on different commodities including, poultry production (and other value chain), cassava production and processing (value addition), maize production, Orange fleshed Sweet Potatoes (OFSP), production of organic fertilizer have been conducted for youth in Dar es Salaam (Kinondoni Municipal and Ubungo Municipal), Morogoro region, Dodoma, Mbeya and Costal region.