The local shop that sparked change for Tanzanian farmers

Next day delivery. Click and collect. Convenience shops on every corner. Many of us are dependent on supplies being available on our doorstep.

For many communities in Tanzania, essential services are completely out of reach.

Smallholder farmer, Adelaida, knew this problem well. The only way she could get hold of the resources she needed was via a long and expensive journey to the closest town.

Tools, seeds and fertiliser are all necessary to produce a fruitful harvest, but without access to these inputs, Adelaida was struggling to support her family.

She noticed other people in her village struggling too. With no local shop, many of her fellow farmers were unable to make ends meet, no matter how hard they worked.

After learning about business development from Farm Africa’s project run in partnership with the Farm to Market Alliance, Adelaida realised that if she opened a shop that provided inputs locally, it would help save her community time and money – and would be a source of income for her too.

“I examined the people’s needs and shortcomings and saw it as an opportunity,” Adelaida explained.

Thanks to support from Farm Africa, Adelaida opened the first agrovet shop in her area and began providing local farmers with immediate access to the supplies they needed. It didn’t take long for the entire community to notice.

Photo: Michael Goima

“I started with 50 farmers, and the following year, I reached 150. I served up to 500 farmers this year, and I hope to serve more farmers next year,” Adelaida said.

Farmers no longer had to travel lengthy distances to town, saving them both time and transport costs. But Adelaida’s business brought immediate benefits to her own farm too.

“I benefit significantly because I don’t have to find seeds now – I already have them. Any time I want to spray pesticides, I can spray them. I can put fertiliser on time because I am the one who sells it.”

Photo: Michael Goima

With access to high-quality seeds and fertilisers, Adelaida can now plant on time and protect her maize and beans from pests, which means better harvests and more income for her and her family. Not to mention the additional income she is making from her shop.

Now a successful business owner, Adelaida has plans to expand. She said, “I expect to increase my capital and grow. I want to expand my business further in villages other than where I am now to help other farmers and save them the trouble of coming here.”

Aside from helping shop owners like Adelaida provide farmers with access to supplies, the Farm to Market Alliance also gives farmers access to machinery, technology, financial support and reliable buyers. The project also teaches farmers climate-smart agriculture techniques to help build their resilience to climate change.

“Collaborating with Farm Africa will also help me because they connect me with prominent business people. They help us get agricultural inputs because they connect us with different people, such as farmers, distributors and producers of agricultural inputs,” Adelaida added.

Through these connections and local access to tools, the Farm to Market Alliance is helping to build self-sustaining networks that spark lasting change, not just for one farmer like Adelaida, but for whole communities across Tanzania.

Find out how you can support more farmers access the right tools and change their lives.