Presentation by Margaret Kingamkono, Regional Field Manager – Tanzania, Farm Radio International Session: Institutional Experiences on 7 Nov 2013 ICT4Ag, Kigali, Rwanda

1. Enhancing extension services through
Radio and ICTs in the promotion of
soil health in Tanzania
Break out session 25

2. What do we do?
The soil health project
• Capacity building of agricultural
extension for up scaling ISFM in
Tanzania
• Implementation: Faida Market Link
and Farm Radio International
• AGRA and Tanzania Government
support
• Target-Southern Highlands

3. Where do we operate?
South-Western

4. Implementing organisations
Farm Radio International
• Since 1997-Partnership with broadcasters to
strengthen small scale farming and rural
communities
• Resources to 460 stations
• Offer online and In- station trainings
• Impact programing (ICT supported)
• Offices in 8 African countries

5. Implementing organisations
Faida Market Link
• Faida Market Link-a Tanzanian based
company established in 2003
• Facilitates contracts between producers
• Uses the Faida 10 step Market Linkage
Approach to build trust between key market
actors

6. Why the intervention?
Challenges
• Declining agricultural productivity
• Low soil health knowledge and limited
soil fertility management practices
• Shortage of extension staff
• Extension staff lack adequate capacity
• Colleges unprepared to offer hands-on
trainings on soil health

7. Why the intervention?...
Low crop yields

8. Why the intervention?...
Limited ISFM practices

9. Why the intervention?...
ISFM by women

10. Why the intervention?...
Existing Knowledge

11. Capacity building
Training institutions and extension staff
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Igurusi, Uyole, Ilonga - 15 Tutors trained
2 ISFM modules developed
Demonstration plots established
300 ISFM trainees graduated
53 field extension staff trained on ISFM

12. Participatory Radio Campaigns
The approach
• A radio campaign?
• Bomba, Abood, Baraka FM engaged
• Broadcaster capacity building
• Formative research
• Campaign designing
• Listening clubs
• Radio shows
• Monitoring

13. ICTs in Radio Campaigns
Packages
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SMS alerts
Beep to vote
Farmer calls/sms
Calls to experts
Smart phones for sound off by extension staff

14. ICTs in Radio Campaigns…
Feedback/Monitoring
• Interactive programs
• Sound off for monitoring
-Extension officers using smart phones
-Farmers feedback on programs
-Demand driven services
• Stakeholder linkages

15. Are we making a difference?
Community feedback
• Awareness on ISFM-beyond project areas
• Knowledge on Azola over 90%
• Practice –Azola with DAP in 0.25 acre
yield 6.5 bags v/s 4 bags rice DAP alone
• Azola reduced water and fertilizer use
• Legume intercropping-knowledge 80%
practice 40%

16. Are we making a difference?
Community feedback…

17. Are we making a difference?
Extension staff
• Increased knowledge-ISFM/skills in use
of ICTs
• Participation in PRCs- Study and
interaction with farmers more
• Confidence
• Credibility
• Reaching out to more farmers
• Participation in program monitoring

18. Are we making any difference?
Broadcasters
• Understand farmers conditions
• Disciplined programs-farmers own the
programs. They task broadcasters
• Research before producing program
• Use of ICTs in broadcasts and monitoring
• Use of the PRC approach – linkage with
different stakeholders
• Rewarding- see impact of the broadcasts

19. Conclusion
Our say
• Trainings for extension staff worth
investing in
• ICT enhanced radio campaigns:
-Have high potential to support extension
services
-Lead to increased change in knowledge and
practices
-Encourage farmer feedback for demand
driven services