08 May

Nurturing learning through Farmers Field School to over 300 farmers in Morogoro region

Farmer Field Schools provide a platform to showcase modern agricultural techniques and promote learning and experimentation among farmers. On April 20, 2024, SUGECO, through the Accelerated Innovation Delivery Initiative (AIDI-II) Project funded by USAID through AGRA, conducted a one-day Farmer Field School (FFS) for over 300 young farmers. The FFS was conducted at SUGECO demonstration farms, where the participants were exposed to different horticultural value chains and technologies. The participants visited different farms, including cabbage, habanero, tomato, and peppers, in an open field and screenhouse farming.

The participants were engaged in participatory methods to create a conducive environment for learning, and practical field exercises were conducted using direct observation and discussion with our experts through learning by doing.

The participants were very excited to see their fellow farmers and youth practicing what they were taught in the class as well as their passion to become agripreneurs in the agricultural sector. The establishment of their farms as part of the implementation of the AIDI and Kizimba Business Model (KBM) programs has paved the way for other youth farmers to learn from their work. This made the participants see that it is possible for youth to invest in agriculture and get a return on investment when they get connected with different resources like financial, land, market, etc.

Through the FFS program, the participants improved their skills by observing, analyzing, and promising to try out the new ideas in their own field that will contribute to increased production and improve livelihood.