Success Story from Our work

Dickson Alex Mseko, the owner and founder of Agri-life Farm, graduated from Morogoro, Tanzania’s Sokoine University of Agriculture in 2015 with a BSc. in Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness. “I’m happy using my knowledge and skills to add social and economic value to my life and the community around my project,” Mseko said when we met him at his farm in the Rufiji area.

“Today, I have managed to employ five permanent workers and more than ten casual labourers. I also share knowledge of good agricultural practices with the local farmers so they can increase their productivity and improve their livelihoods.

“I’m thankful to the tourist hotels at Seleous Game Reserve, executive hotels in Dar es Salaam and my supermarket customers for buying quality tomatoes, and green, yellow, and red sweet peppers produced by Agri-life farm. Without them, I could not have achieved the sales turnover of $7000 USD in the year (2017).

“I know growth is a process that needs to be embedded in capability and not capacity. I will keep walking my talk and ambitions; and for my fellow youth, “the future is now,” and is mostly in agriculture — agribusiness especially.”

“While I’ve made great progress, it was not easy to start. I remember the day I took the initiative to complete the one-year AGROSTUDY internship to Israel, organised by SUGECO. On that trip, I learned all about agribusiness, and how agriculture contributes to the development of the nation and improving people’s livelihoods. I spent 15-hour work days in vegetable and citrus production, where I gained skills with greenhouse technology, open field production, farm management and marketing.

“When I returned home, I wanted to start immediately, but was faced with the challenge of having little capital.  I decided I would volunteer at SUGECO on an agribusiness hands-on skills program. I worked there for five months and ran my little baby business at the same time. My saving and high commitment to work made SUGECO consider a soft loan for me of one greenhouse under the International Trade Centre project.

“And today, my business AGRI-LIFE FARM is up and running. I may be small scale, but I have my sights set on expansion.”