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Farmers Club in Africa A group of 50 farmers form what will be known as a Farmers Club. Upon registration and payment of the fee, the interested farmers start the Farmers Club. Farmers Club Committee The Farmers Club elects a Committee with 5 members that will administer the club. The Committee constitutes itself with a chairman, a vice-chairman, a secretary, a treasurer, and a member. Each club establishes its own constitution that the members are required to follow in order to have guidance for their activities. The Committee takes on the entire responsibility of the organization, administration and economy. General meetings The Farmers Club has a general meeting once every month at which new ideas are introduced, results and difficulties are discussed, new techniques are learned and any other general business is handled. Workshops Special workshops are organized in a specific subject where new techniques can be taught such as herb growing, bee keeping or dairy farming. Field visits Education of the farmers and demonstration of new and cheap technologies take place on the ground in the fields. Quarterly meetings for Committees 1. 2 members of each Committee in a district will get together on a quarterly basis in order to evaluate the achievements, celebrate the results and plan the coming period. 2. The meeting will be based on the records from each Farmers Club presented on posters for all to see, comment on and learn from. Description of Activities Practical Farming Participants in the Farmers Club follow a five step program. Each Farmer has a set of informative booklets that he uses for his planning and record keeping. Step 1: The farmer measures his own field, builds up contours for protection and also calculates how much seeds and fertilizer should be used. Step 2: The farmer is in a position to produce surplus food and begins to grow cash crops. Step 3: The farmer adds irrigated and intensive crops for sale. Step 4: The farmer makes a small orchard on his land to grow fruit trees, learns to graft mango trees and plant wood trees. Step 5: The farmer learns to do other small income generating activities such as cattle production, dairy farming etc. Learning about Farming, Economy and Health Besides these practical steps in the farming, the Farmers Club program has 3 elements to upgrade the farmers’ knowledge of Farming, Economy and Health. Element 1: Farmers Training Knowledge about Agriculture, Crop Husbandry, Animal Husbandry, Vegetables and fruits, Planning and managing the field, Soil improvement, Water and Irrigation, Storage and preservation, Farm registers. Element 2: Farm and Family Economy Budgets, accounts and registers, Business planning and grant applications, Income Generating Projects, Marketing, Saving, loans and financing. Element 3: Health, Hygiene and Education Home improvements, Nutrition, Health, Child Care, Community action. Common activities 1. Model Fields The project recruits and makes agreements with 60 farmers or Women’s Groups to establish Model Fields, where they will use the farming techniques and introduce new crops. They will establish a well with a low-tech water pump. 2. Common tools The Farmers Club areas will be provided with some common farming tools for lease or borrow. This way, the farmers get access to training and using more tools. 3. Small start-up kits for selected farmers 1.200 farmers will be helped with a start-up kit with seeds and small tools. They will be selected based on their economic situation. 4. Grants 100 grants at an average of 750 $ will be given to farmers for investment in their farm. The 75 grants are for improving agriculture based on an application with a business plan for the investment. Based on the application given, the 25 grants will be provided for improving the homestead of the farmers. 5. Revolving Fund A revolving fund will be set up. This will grant smaller loans to farmers with good business and repayment plans. 6. Yearly Agriculture Show In each of the 4 Farmers Club Areas, a yearly agriculture show will be organized and carried out. The farmers exhibit their products and prizes are given for the best products. 7. Promotion of Preschools Farmers Club will encourage the establishment of smaller preschools in the farming communities which will make it possible for the children to be under guidance while the parents are in the fields. Achievements • Organising farmers in Farmers Clubs, where they get training and work together to improve knowledge, farming technologies, and marketing of products. • Development of high valued crops for small holder farmers. • Strengthening of the institutional and extension support systems at section, block and district level through capacity building. • Intensifying soil fertility and sustainable natural resource management, including water shed management and agro forestry through training and provision of some basic supplies. • Expanding small scale irrigation to increase the output. • Promoting agri-business development technologies and skills. • Promoting affirmative action for women farmers. • Improving the health of the farmer families through health education and concrete actions to improve hygiene. Humana People to People F arming is the most vital source of a livelihood for most of the people in Africa. 70% of the people derive their livelihood from farming. This is mainly people who are growing crops on smaller pieces of land for sustaining their families. According to FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of United Nation, food security exists when all people, at all times, have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. Currently there are 852 million food insecure people in the world. Some of the problems that the farmers face are modern means of production and input for the farming, small pieces of land, lack of money for investing in the production, lack of access to markets for the goods they produce and lack of training in modern methods of farming. There is a great need for training the farmers, so that they can increase the yield of the crops they grow on their land, diversify the crops and through that improve their food security. The training must also include how to protect the environment so that the land can be kept fertile and productive. Farmers training take place within Humana People to People (HPP) in different forms and shapes. Members of HPP run specific agriculture projects to address these questions. These projects are called Farmers Club and From Subsistence to Professional Farmer. Designed by Call & Service Centre, Humana People to People Services E-mail: [email protected] Phone: +91 11 43054059
