Farmers groups of Karagwe Diocese(KAD), which belongs to the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Tanzania, on the 20th January this year, had an opportunity to tour MVIWATA headquarters in Morogoro.
Among other things, the group intended to learn how best advocacy can be done for the Karagwe farmers to enhance access to markets and fetch optimal prices for their produce, bearing in mind it is a border regional town.
Speaking at a one day meeting, Sr. Editha Sylivester, KAD Planning and Development officer, said their organisation was eager to know how MVIWATA has been able to assist farmers address their challenges while it adds value to their welfare.
On his part, Mr Ibrahim Kimani, a facilitator from Danmission, who accompanied the group said Karagwe farmers could use MVIWATA rich experience could sort coffee market problem, which was apparently distorted by unscrupulous dealers.
“We have come here purposely to learn how farmers in Karagwe can be enabled to sell their produce, coffee or beans, at competitive prices,” said Mr Kimani.
Responding to the posed questions, the MVIWATA Team Leader- Economic Empowerment, Mr Nickson Elly said that through numerous agribusiness, entrepreneurship and advocacy trainings, MVIWATA members were capacitated of bargaining skills to get desirable prices.
“It didn’t happen overnight. We invested in training farmers groups on key subjects. And through the markets that we have built in their areas, farmers can now fetch better deals for their crops,” he said.
The tour that was done by MAYAJA and FAP farmers groups (12 persons) resolved with their host that it was high time the two NGOs find ways to work together by learning and exchanging experience on their operations.
“I am very delighted to know MVIWATA ‘s approach. We will see how better we can work together in future especially in our district where you also operate as MVIWATA covers all the country,” added Sr. Editha.
The Karagwe Diocese runs economic, educational, political, public and social welfare. This is a wide range of projects which deal with every part of human life. Started with a heifer project, which provided cows to poor families at Karagwe, now, they have projects concerning the advocacy of farmers and the palliative care.

Mtandao wa Vikundi vya Wakulima (MVIWATA) in collaboration with a French-based organisation TAMADI, has embarked on new initiative aiming to boost rural tourism.
Speaking during inception of the initiative, at a stakeholders’ meeting here in Morogoro, the MVIWATA Executive Director, Stephen Ruvuga said the new initiative entails to create a platform where visitors from abroad will have chance to tour smallholder farmers in the country and learn their traditions in their homestead.
“Through this partnership, farmers will get opportunity to share their life experience with tourists, but also it is a way of enhancing international relations between Tanzania and other nations,” he said.
According to Mr Ruvuga, the initiative will forge friendship between visitors and the indigenous farmers while preserving their tourist attractions like environment and customs such as farming and livestock keeping, art craft and other appropriate technologies.
This type of tourism emphasizes the use of local transport and home-stay.
Tamadi implements similar initiative in Mali, Madagascar, India, Turkey and Western Sahara.
Speaking at the recent workshop entailed to train farmers that will host the tourists, the TAMADI Director, Ms Veronique Dave said in areas where the project was implemented like in Madagascar, hosting communities were sensitized to value and preserve their cultural heritages and environment.
According to her, guides, interpreters, host families, local organizations, national coordinators are paid fairly for their services.
“However, host families and farmers’ organizations have to consider community based tourism as a secondary generating revenue activity. Profits are reinvested to strengthen the rural development activities,” she said.
On their part, farmers who attended the training praised the initiative saying it would be a boost to their household income instead of depending only on single source.
“This is initiative has come just on time, we farmers have been depending entirely on farming as our only income generating activity, but here we are told that our community associations could also earn something by simply hosting and teach visitors our customary rural life,” said Mr Joseph Kwekanga.
Another farmer from Zanzibar Mr Haji Husi said the project was interesting the fact that it links people of two different world coming together and learn from each other on their daily lives and the surroundings.

By staff writer. Morogoro. The Vice President Dr Mohammend Gharib Bilal has commended Mtandao wa Vikundi vya Wakulima Tanzania (MVIWATA) for promoting unity among smallholder farmers and producers countrywide.

Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 20th anniversary of the (MVIWATA ) in Morogoro recently , Mr Bilal praised the group for organising such ceremony as it was also a day to celebrate its landmark achievement since its establishment.

“Today is a special day for MVIWATA and you have every reason to celebrate.  Organising a series of events like this, shows how well you are positioned to unify and defend small holder farmers’ rights in the country,” he said.

He said, the government was aware that for the past two decades, MVIWATA has done so many notable activities including trainings entailing to empower farmers economically particularly through rural markets, SACCOS and other entrepreneurial skills.

“By doing so, it is obvious that you are participating fully  and adding to government endeavours  to eradicate poverty in the country…..Agriculture remains to be a large sector by employing many Tanzanians despite the fact that it was still crammed full with numerous challenges,” he said.

MVIWATA is a national farmers organisation, which brings together small holder farmers from all regions of Tanzania in order to have a common voice to defend economic, social ,cultural and political interests of smallholder farmers.

Founded in 1993, MVIWATA aspires to empower stallholder economically and socially farmers through capacity building and undertake lobbying and advocacy especially by strengthening their groups and networks, facilitating communication and learning so that they are capable of defending their interests.

in the last 20 years, MVIWATA has grown from 22 members at the beginning to more than 150,000 members from all regions of Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar.

MVIWATA was started by farmers to unite farmers and be their voice in defending their rights and interests economically. socially, politically and culturally. He said despite the fact that the agricultural sector still faces many challenges, the government has always supported farmers and still committed to the development of the agricultural sector.

“The government has set aside Ruvuma, Rukwa, Katavi, and Morogoro as model areas for agriculture. There are still challenges like infrustructure in some areas but the government is working hard to make sure famers get markets and are able to improve their livelihoods,” said the Vice president.

A four-day ceremony drew about 2000 participants, mainly representatives of the government, partners, development organisations and members.

By Staff writer. Morogoro. Smallholder farmers in the country have been urged to participate in a constitutional review process by giving their views on the current draft so as the new constitution stipulates clearly their rights.

The call was given by former Prime minister Fredrick Sumaye, who was the guest of honour to the initiation of the 20th anniversary ceremony of Mtandao wa Vikundi vya Wakulima (MVIWATA) cerebrated on 23-26 July this year in Morogoro.

“I understand that as farmers’ national network, MVIWATA had already submitted your views on the constitution, but now it’s your turn to seat as a constitutional council and go through the draft and see if it has included your suggestions…if not, you have another chance to tell them your opinions for the current draft,” he said.

He said, farmers were comprising over 70 percent of the country population and thus it was their right to own the new constitution and later decide on kind of leaders that they want to put into power and shun all the corrupt ones.

This year’s annual general meeting and the 20th anniversary gathered hundreds of participants accompanied a series of informative workshops on topics of smallholder farmers’ interests.

Among other things, Hon.Sumaye also insisted that if the country was serious with the agriculture sector, it was necessary that small farmers are involved in all process of drafting agricultural programmes and policies for them to have tangible results.

Regarding the prevailing land conflicts between farmers and pastoralists, the guest of honour urged them to end their disputes by following proper channels and shun all people that were fueling conflicts knowing that such fights would hinder farmers from attaining green revolution and alleviating poverty in their communities.

He reminded the government to take such disputes very seriously together with other challenges facing farmers and guaranteeing them conducive producing environment while ensuring country’s food security.

Earlier, the Chairman of MVIWATA Board of directors, Habibu Simbamkuti, explained that farmers were delighted seeing their organ that was established two decades ago sailing through enormous challenges but significantly making changes to small-scale famers as individual and in their groups.

He pointed out that the organisation was focused to unify small holder farmers while continuing to provide them with possible trainings that empowers them economically, politically and socially.

Giving a vote of thanks to the guest of honour, the executive Director Stephen Ruvuga said that big challenge worrying most small holder farmers in the country was the trend of current agricultural policies that seems to embrace and prefer foreign investors while fueling land grabbing.

Mtandao wa Vikundi vya Wakulima Tanzania (MVIWATA) has been awarded the 2012 FANRPAN Civil Society Movers and Shakers Award, which recognises contributions of mobilising small-scale farmers in Tanzania.

The award was announced recently at the FANRPAN Annual Regional Policy Dialogue held in Dar es Salaam. FANRPAN Civil Society Movers and Shakers Award is given to Civil Organisations that have demonstrating excellence in promoting food security, agriculture or natural resources issues through advocacy or any other approach that influences policy in FANRPAN member states.

Speaking soon after receiving the award, MVIWATA Executive Director Mr Stephen Ruvuga expressed gratitude for FANRPAN for recognition of the network’s efforts in mobilising small-scale farmers who are majority in this country and play a big role in food security and the wider economy.

“We are very grateful for FANRPAN for recognition of our efforts in mobilising small-scale farmers who are majority in this country an play big role in food security as well as nation economy,” he said.