We want to adopt simple mechanization through productive assets to increase productivity in response to identified domestic and regional markets for staples. The initiative, will fast-track commercial farming of ongoing smallholder farm enterprise efforts through selected farm implements. We target social villages that and graduate them into trading-blocs; Commercial Villages. Farmers are equipped as market players and women or youth are also suppliers for direct payment by various buyers.
Low productivity is the major barrier for farmers to meet and maintain market requirements like consistent supply of produce , which is non-negotiable for buyers. Though we want to really increase volumes for markets, the farmers are relying on human labor; unfortunately, women largely offer this farm labor. An increase of commercialization is a threat to be new labor burden for women and Malawi is at 74% population living below the poverty line of $ 1.25 a day with women as the face of poverty.
We want to adopt a $ 7,000 per village mechanization for 3 Villages to provide; (1) Motorized Chipper: Chips 10,000 kg / 8 Hours cassava /sweet potatoes instead of women hand-chipping 200 kg / 8 Hours. (2) A two- wheeled tractor: Ploughs a Hectare in 2.5 Days instead of human dig a hectare for 25 man-days. (3) Hammer Mill & accessories: Stop the 10 Kilometer-walk with heavy loads on women's heads and backs to nearest towns. These sets of assets will turn around the labor equation rapidly!
Over 500 Smallholder Farmers drawn from 300 Households per Village will increase supplies by 20% to buyers and receive 30% higher sales. Emerging impact data on 'Incomes Use' reveals that farmers actually first invest in basic needs e.g. food, housing. This initiative will therefore enhance farming families' welfare and contribute towards entrepreneurship adoption that will trigger micro-industries. View how Commercial Village Work: The Smallholder Success Engine on; https://www.farmconcern.org
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
