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Viable Sweetpotato Technologies in Africa – Tanzania (VISTA – Tanzania)

Project Ongoing

Over a quarter of the Tanzanian population fall below the basic needs poverty line.  Thirty three per cent of children aged 6-59 months and 37% of women aged 15-49 years are estimated to have vitamin A deficiency (VAD).  In this context, nutrition-sensitive agricultural development has a crucial role to play, in particular for poor rural households for which farming is the main source of food and income.

The overall goal of VISTA Tanzania is to contribute to improved dietary diversity, food security and incomes in Tanzania, especially among households with children under five years of age. The purpose is to extend the production, consumption & marketing of orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) products among 21,000 smallholder farmers and 20 medium size farmers in seven districts within the FTF zones of influence.

 

VISTA Tanzania pursues four specific objectives which will deliver the following outputs:

 

OBJECTIVE 1: INCREASED PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION OF NUTRITIOUS OFSP VARIETIES THROUGH AN INTEGRATED AGRICULTURE-NUTRITION TECHNOLOGY SET

Output 1.1: Agro-ecologically adapted OFSP varieties with market attributes available for uptake by root producers Output 1.2: Entrepreneurs establish financially sustainable medium scale seed (and root) enterprises linked to: up-stream source of quality pre-basic OFSP planting material; and down-stream individual and community group demand for planting material Output 1.3: Smallholder and medium scale farmers grow OFSP and realize increased productivity through accessing quality planting material and applying improved agronomic practices

 

OBJECTIVE 2: IMPROVED NUTRITION KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES

Output 2.1 Households receive Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) (including knowledge on OFSP utilization and consumption) Output 2.2 Staff from target districts trained in improved nutrition counseling Output 2.3 Various nutrition messages and counseling implemented in target districts including vitamin A rich foods and OFSP

 

OBJECTIVE 3: ROOT PRODUCERS AND TRADERS UTILIZE IMPROVED STORAGE AND MARKETING OF FRESH OFSP ROOTS

Output 2.1 Technologies for improved storage and marketing practices of fresh roots disseminated Output 2.2 Selected fresh OFSP root market chains improved

 

OBJECTIVE 4: IMPROVED EVIDENCE BASED AND POLICY SUPPORT FOR OFSP PRODUCTION AND UTILIZATION

Output 3.1 Staff from GoT and NGOs trained in Sweetpotato TOT Output 3.2 Strengthen the evidence for OFSP production and nutrition support in target districts Output 3.3 Learning events for stakeholders at district and national levels   PROJECT LEADER: Frederick Grant (Phd) PROJECT MEMBERS: Rogers Kakuhenzire (Phd), Haile Selassie Okuku, Meshack Mwenda, Cleophas Mkuyu, Boniface Sembuche, Nicholas Msangi, Deogratias Semwiza

The project is designed to expand the production and utilization of nutritious orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) into seven districts in Mbeya, Iringa and Morogoro Regions which are part of USAID’s Feed the Future (FTF) zones of influence.

CIP Office Dar-es-Salaam:IITA Regional Hub, Plot No. 25, Mikocheni Light Industrial Area, Mwenge-Coca Cola Road, P.O.Box 34441, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. I Office Tel: +255 22 2700092 Ext. 305. I Mobile: +255 759 184 827 I Fax: +255 22 2775021.   VISTA-Tanzania Morogoro Office: Location: Tushikamane Centre, Kilakala Road, near Toyota (T) Morogoro. P.O. Box 2473, Morogoro. Mobile: +255 759 184 827; Email: f.grant@cgiar.org   I www.cipotato.org I Skype: fkgrant

Key Project Information

The International Potato Center (CIP) and its partners in Tanzania propose the Viable Sweetpotato Technologies in Africa (VISTA) Tanzania project, which is designed to expand the production and utilization of nutritious orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) into seven districts in Mbeya, Iringa and Morogoro Regions which are part of USAID’s Feed the Future (FTF) zones of influence. The overall goal of VISTA Tanzania is to contribute to improved dietary diversity, food security and incomes in Tanzania, especially among households with children under five years of age. The purpose is to extend the production, consumption & marketing of orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) products among 21,000 smallholder farmers and 20 medium size farmers in seven districts within the FTF zones of influence. Of these 17,500 farmers and caregivers will participate in a full integrated agriculture-nutrition package. Twenty–eight entrepreneurs will be supported to become financially viable sweetpotato seed and root enterprises. It is anticipated that around 102,000 sweetpotato farmers will be reached indirectly with planting material.

 

The VISTA Tanzania project is an integral part of CIP’s new strategy and corporate plan, particularly in support of the strategic objective called “Combating Micronutrient Deficiency with Resilient, Nutritious Orange-Fleshed Sweetpotato”, which aims at scaling up the benefits of OFSP to reach 15 million households in Africa, Asia and Haiti in the next 10 years.

 

PROJECT GROUP LEADER: FREDERICK KOBINA EBO GRANT (PhD)

TEAM MEMBERS: ROGERS KAKUHENZIRE (PhD), HAILE SELASSIE OKUKU, MESHACK MWENDA, CLEOPHAS MKUYU, BONIFACE SEMBUCHE, NICHOLAS MSANGI, DEOGRATIAS SEMWIZA

Start date
End date
Lead organization International Potato Center (CIP)
Collaborating organizations SRI Kibaha, ARI Uyole, Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), District level Agriculture and Nutrition extentionists
Region East Africa
Countries Tanzania
Type of project Development / Dissemination and Research
Financing Sources USAID
Funding Amount (USD) $3,000,000
Members Frederick Grant, Haile Selassie Okuku, Rogers Kakuhenzire, JOSE MARIO CARDENAS, Joel Mukono

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