Investing in farmers
Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund (MATF)
Eighty per cent of the population in rural sub-Saharan Africa are reliant on agriculture as a source of income and employment. Yet agricultural productivity has stagnated. The agricultural sector is mostly made up of small-scale farms. But smallholders face various barriers to their development.
- They have limited access to new technologies, such as new crop varieties and better methods of storage.
- They have difficulty accessing finance and suffer from a lack of investment in areas such as roads, agricultural equipment and silos.
- They lack support from areas such as market boards and advisory services.
- They contend with market constraints such as an inability to produce the right amount or quality for customers, price variations and inadequate storage systems.
Given the current food crisis in Africa, revitalising agriculture is now more important than ever. FARM-Africa established the Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund (MATF) to help improve the livelihoods of farming communities in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. We invest in farmers to enable them to transition from subsistence to business farming.
FARM-Africa's support
Over the years the Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund has become a key player in agricultural development work. We've helped more than 150,000 smallholders test and scale up new technologies.
- We're providing grants to projects that promote the transfer and adoption of new agricultural technologies. This is increasing the productivity of smallholder farmers. A recent external evaluation found that on average the Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund increased yields by 400% and incomes by 500%.
- We're developing partnerships between different stakeholders to support technology transfer from agricultural institutions to the field.
- We're spreading the word about innovative, proven technologies. We're identifying the best technologies and information-sharing methods. Then we're documenting this good-practice and sharing it with other organisations and governments.
For more information, please visit the project's own website.
Investing in farmers
Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund
The Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund (MATF) is investing in small-scale farmers in East Africa so that they can improve their productivity. We introduce new technologies and support farmers as they adopt them. This has a far-reaching impact as increased yields mean more food and income for the community as a whole.
George's story
George lives in Uganda’s Luwero district. Like most farmers in this agricultural area, George is reliant on his rice crop to feed his family of ten, and provide income for household essentials. George, and many of his fellow farmers were finding it increasingly difficult to grow enough rice to survive.
MATF provided funding to a local organisation that was keen to share the benefits of growing upland rice with farmers in Luwero district. This upland rice grows well in drier areas meaning that farmers can grow rice outside the wetlands in the valleys. It also yields a much larger harvest in less time than the wetland varieties traditionally grown in the region.
Bigger harvests mean bigger surpluses to sell at market. As a result, farmers were also taught about marketing and collaborating to get a good price for any rice they had to sell.
George’s harvest has almost doubled, and is now more than enough to sustain his family. Money earned from selling the extra rice has paid for the uniforms and books his children need to attend school. The training has improved George’s agricultural knowledge and now he now has the skills, knowledge and confidence to grow maize too.
Best Practices
MATF - Improving Livelihoods Through Innovative Partnerships
Adobe PDF - 2.05mb
Working Papers
08. Socio-Economic Assessment of Four MATF-Funded Projects
Adobe PDF - 1.2mb
Scaling-up Success - FARM-Africa's new strategy for development
Adobe PDF - 444kb
Increased income for onion farmers.
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Fruit drying centres open for business
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Upland Rice Project in Uganda goes from strength to strength
To date, ove
r 25,000 farmers in central and eastern Uganda have benefited from the Upland Rice Project. It is estimated that since the start of the project, gross margins per acre have increased five times for farmers, increasing their income and enabling them to feed themselves and their families.
Maendeleo Agricultural Technology Fund (MATF)
The Ugandan Minister of State for Animal Industry opened the 5th MATF Experience Sharing Workshop in Entebbe on the 26th May. This year's discussions focused on the production and marketing of upland rice, yam, garlic and lemon grass in Uganda; cashew, mushrooms and poultry in Tanzania; and bulb onions and dried fruit in Kenya.
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