Meet Jenifa: taking her farming to new heights

In rural Tanzania, the majority of the population works in small-scale farming. However, smallholder farmers face many challenges that hinder their productivity and financial stability, such as lack of quality seeds and fertiliser, inadequate knowledge of agricultural practices, and insufficient post-harvest handling of crops.

Female farmers are particularly disadvantaged. Women’s lack of land ownership means they are often excluded from decisions about crops, and they lack the collateral needed to qualify for loans to buy quality inputs.

As part of the Farm to Market Alliance, since April 2022 Farm Africa has been working with the World Food Programme to tackle these issues with an approach that places women at the forefront of its business development efforts.

39-year-old Jenifa a dedicated farmer and agricultural extension officer, saw this as an opportunity for change. She took the initiative of establishing her own agricultural supply business. Initially trading from her home, she began by sourcing supplies and services for her neighbours and nearby farmers.

With support from the Farm to Market Alliance, Jenifa has been able to realise her full business potential. She has quickly become a pivotal agrodealer, extending her assistance to over 2,000 farmers in her community.

Thanks to success of her business, she has been able to purchase her own tractor, so that she can offer tractor services to the community. She has also invested in other agricultural machines, with plans to expand her range to meet the demand.

Jenifa explained happily: “The FtMA programme serves as our bridge to a diverse community of partners, each contributing their expertise to help us elevate our agricultural practices to new heights.”