The Shocking Struggles and Challenges of Africa's Smallholder Farmers: How We Can Help

"Simply type inrnTshs. 18,000,000, I am aware of how to plead for this loan,"

The pleading voicernof my neighbor, a smallholder farmer in Katumba, Sumbawanga, reached me. I wasrnassisting her in creating a budget to obtain a loan from a Bank. I inquired,

 "Have they ever visited your farm? Arernthey aware of its size? Do they understand the climate conditions of your farm?rnHave you ever produced any farm income report in the past to gain their trust for arnloan without collateral? Will that Tshs.18Million be given to you in cash orrnwill they pay input suppliers so you can obtain the inputs you need? IsrnTshs.18million sufficient?"

She replied withrnsadness,

"Too manyrnquestions that I don't have answers for. Every season I try to put togetherrnthis budget and proposal. I know I won't get this loan. Sometimes it feels likernbeing a smallholder farmer is a curse. Everyone seems to care about us, butrnthey really don't. Obtaining a loan from a bank as a smallholder farmer? We arerna joke to them. I'm just going through the motions, hoping maybe a miracle willrnhappen. Please just help me finish the budget."

As a child ofrnsmallholder farmers, I have personally witnessed the struggles and hardshipsrnthat these brave men and women face on a daily basis. Growing up with myrnbeloved grandmother, who was also a smallholder farmer, before she passed away,rnshe repeatedly warned me, "When you go to college and become educated, dornnot become like those so-called intellectuals who come and interrogate us as ifrnthey are judges, pretending to want to help. They take our pictures and videosrnand then vanish" Her words have stayed with me, driving me to strive to berna truly empathetic and supportive ally to these resilient and hardworkingrnindividuals.

 I vividly recall those days as I toiled in ourrnsmall plot of earth, the scorching sun bearing down on my weary back, and arnwave of hopelessness engulfing me. As a smallholder farmer in the remoterncountryside of Tanzania, I struggled to eke out a living on the family landrnthat we held dear. Yet, despite our tireless effort and devotion, it appearedrnas if the obstacles we faced were insurmountable. Drawing from my personalrnexperience as a smallholder farmer, I desire to share with you the challengesrnthat smallholder farmers like myself have encountered and continue to facerntoday:

1.       Accessrnto credit and Insurance

Perhaps the biggestrnchallenge we faced and still facing smallholder farmers even today is the lackrnof access to credit. Without access to loans or other forms of financialrnassistance, it is difficult to invest in things like seeds or fertilizer. As arnresult, farmers crops often fail to thrive, leading to a vicious cycle ofrnpoverty and despair.

For those who mayrnnot be familiar, credit is a form of financial assistance that allows us tornborrow money in order to invest in our farms and improve our livelihoods. It isrna crucial tool that allows us to take risks, innovate, and grow our businesses.rnHowever, smallholder farmers in Africa, often struggle to access credit due torna lack of collateral, inadequate documentation, financial history and a lack ofrnaccess to financial institutions.

This lack of creditrnhas a ripple effect on smallholder farmer communities. Without the necessaryrnfinancial support, they are unable to purchase the necessary inputs like seeds,rnfertilizers, and equipment that would allow them to increase their yields andrnimprove their income. This means that they are unable to feed their familiesrnand provide for communities, leading to a cycle of poverty and malnutrition.

But the impact ofrnthe lack of credit goes beyond just their personal lives. It also has arndetrimental effect on the agricultural sector as a whole. Without access torncredit, smallholder farmers are unable to modernize and adopt new technologies,rnleading to a lack of innovation and progress in the industry.

2.       Limitedrnaccess to extension services:

Manyrnsmallholder farmers in Africa do not have access to extension services thatrncould provide them with valuable information and support. It is common for onernextension officer to be responsible for overseeing the needs of more than 1000rnsmallholder farmers. This is an overwhelming task, as it is nearly impossiblernfor one person to effectively provide support and guidance to so many farmers.

Imaginerntrying to run a farm with only one extension officer to turn to for guidancernand support. How can they possibly help you when they are overwhelmed with sornmany other farmers to assist? It feels like you are constantly trying tornnavigate the world of farming on your own, with no one to turn to for help orrnguidance.

Withoutrnthe necessary tools and resources, extension officers are unable to provide thernlevel of support that smallholder farmers desperately need. This leaves farmersrnfeeling isolated and unsupported, leading to decreased productivity and income.

3.       Climaternchange:

Smallholderrnfarmers in Africa are increasingly facing the impacts of climate change. Thisrnincludes extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, and heatwaves, whichrncan have devastating effects on crops and livestock.

As temperaturesrncontinue to rise and weather patterns become increasingly erratic, smallholderrnfarmers are struggling to adapt and maintain their crop yields.

Onernmajor issue is the increasing frequency of drought and water shortages. Manyrnsmallholder farmers rely on rainwater for irrigation, and as drought becomesrnmore common, they are unable to grow crops or feed their livestock. This canrnlead to food insecurity and financial hardship for farmers and their families.

Anotherrnchallenge is the impact of extreme weather events, such as floods and storms.rnThese events can destroy crops and infrastructure, making it difficult forrnfarmers to recover and maintain their livelihoods.

Smallholderrnfarmers in Africa lack the resources and knowledge to adapt to these changingrnconditions. They may not have access to irrigation systems or drought-resistantrncrops, and may not be aware of the best practices for adapting to a changingrnclimate.

4.       Limitedrnaccess to markets and Traceability Challenge:

Manyrnsmallholder farmers in Africa live in rural areas that are isolated from majorrnmarkets, making it difficult for them to find buyers for their products. Inrnaddition, smallholder farmers often lack access to reliable information aboutrnmarket prices and demand, which makes it difficult for them to make informedrndecisions about what to grow and sell.

Anotherrnchallenge is the lack of traceability of their products. Smallholder farmers dornnot have the resources or technology to track the origin and journey of theirrnproducts from farm to market, which makes it difficult for them torndifferentiate their products and command a higher price. This lack ofrntraceability also makes it difficult for smallholder farmers to ensure thatrntheir products meet the standards and requirements of buyers, which can limitrntheir access to certain markets.

How is Mazao Hub positioned tornsolve all above challenges?

Mazao Hub is anrnecosystem designed to bring together key players in agriculture namely:

        rni.           rnFarmers,

      rnii.           rnAgronomistsrn& extension officers,

    rniii.           rnAgrirndealers,

    rniv.           rnCooperatives,

      rnv.           rnManufacturers,

    rnvi.           rnOffrntakers,

   rnvii.           rnWarehouses,

  viii.           rnLogistics,

     rnix.           rnBanksrnand Insurance,

      rnx.           rnAgriculturalrnBoards,

     rnxi.           rnTraders,rn

   rnxii.           rnExporters,

Mazao Hub providesrnERP modules for each player mentioned above to enable them manage their key dayrnto day farming activities and business operations. AS Farm ERP platform enablesrnmentioned key players above to manage farmers, farming activities and controlrncomplex farm operations, make data-driven decisions, optimize cost, improvernyields based on real-time insights and advanced field analytics.

Mazao Hub ecosystemrnis categorized in the following key areas:

a)      rnFarmer Mapping. This is the first tool into Mazao Hub available as Mobile App that can bernused by Farmers, Agronomists & Extension officers, Agri dealers,rnCooperatives and even banks or insurance to achieve the following goals:

·        rnTo knowrnlocation of each farmer and farms. This makes farmers traceable.

·        rnTo knowrnthe size of the farm

·        rnTorncollect farmer identity like National ID, Fingerprint and other information.

·        rnTo knowrnclimatic behavior of each farm area,

b)     rnFarm Programs or Farm Management. This is the second tool into Mazao Hub availablernas Mobile App that can be used by Farmers, Agronomists & Extensionrnofficers, Agri dealers, Cooperatives and even banks or insurance to achieve thernfollowing goals:

·        rnTornidentify cost of each farm

·        rnTornidentify cost of production life cycle with all Good Agricultural practices,

·        rnTornprovide transparency between service providers serving farmers. This isrnimportant for banks giving loan to farmers, instead of giving cash to farmersrnthey pay directly to service providers.

·        rnTornprovide tools to monitor farming activities, farm progress to harvest.

·        rnTorncreate traceability reports for each harvest based on the monitored farmrnprogress or activities took place in the farm.

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c)       FarmrnSupply Chain