More opportunities, less struggles..

      29 January 2010
      Written by Brechtje Riphagen

      Gallapo SACCOS, located in the Northern, most draught-prone, part of Tanzania. We meet with the board members, discuss about the problems they are currently facing and we are checking whether they have any maize that they want to sell to WFP. The chairman leads us to his warehouse: empty. All we see are some pallets and an old rusty weighing scale, standing in the middle of the empty space, a silent witness of the effects of the drought. No maize, not a single bag. Next day, we continue our journey. The SACCOS we’re visiting, Mahaahaa SACCOS, had more luck this year. There is 150mt of good quality maize stored in their warehouse. It is laying there already for two weeks and they have no idea how to sell the maize. There is no local market and their remote village is not visited by traders. We’re sitting on the ground, listening to their struggles. The farmers are poor; they need money to buy seeds for the next season. But without market, there is no money. This is a clear example of a failing market system.

      To notice that in one village 150mt of maize is stored, waiting for a buyer. The farmers have no idea how to access the local market. And another village, maximum 50km further has a food deficit and receives food assistance from the government because people are hungry. In a world, that has become so small for many western people, it is simply unbelievable that there is only 50km between a food deficit area and a food surplus area. Only 50km between people suffering hunger and people having a warehouse full of maize. The only thing these villagers have in common, it that they suffer. Either suffering from lack of food, or suffering from lack of income as they don’t know how to sell their crops.
      A total different experience is the cooperation with Ibumila SACCOS, located in the Southern highlands of Tanzania. Instead of an improvised office and handwritten documents, we receive very professional looking documents and it is clearly a well-run organization. Last week I met the chairman of the SACCOS. The registration forms I had requested beforehand were not ready yet, but the chairman promised me to send these documents by email. And indeed, two days later I found the documents in my inbox, just as promised. It is impressive to see that a farmer’s cooperative can work like this.
      The question remains: how long would it take before ‘Gallapo’ becomes the exception, and ‘Ibumila’ the standard? How to raise the standards instead of widening the gap? More opportunities, less struggles. That is all the Tanzanian smallholder farmers need right now.
      Gallery: 

      Comments

      Tim Goudriaan's picture

      Submitted by Tim Goudriaan on 29 January 2010
      Hey Brechtje, A very familiar sketch of difficulties on the grounds. Noticing the difficulties even on such a small scale exemplifies the great and often unexpected difficulties involved in trying to improve people's livelihoods. Struggle for their opportunity! ;)
      Guido van Heugten's picture

      Submitted by Guido van Heugten on 29 January 2010
      Hey Brechtje, Was interessant om te lezen! Keep up the good job! Groetjes uit Tana!
      Alexander Stukenberg's picture

      Submitted by Alexander Stukenberg on 29 January 2010
      very interesting Brechtje

      Submitted by lifestyle lift on 10 April 2011
      Well, i think the gap will be narrowed between rich and poor if Govt. gives easy access to farmers (who surprisingly constitutes a major group of poor people in developing countries) of the market. Many countries do not allow farmers to access open markets and they have to take the route of middle man.

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