Farmers' Clubs Chivi
Farmers’ Clubs Chivi
Farmers’ Clubs Chivi works with 1,500 smallholder farmers to promote resilience in agriculture and small livestock production. Partnering with the Ministry of Agriculture, the project empowered farmers to adopt climate-smart practices in the face of El Niño-induced drought. With AGRITEX, the project facilitates training on conservation farming, focusing on potholing, mulching and crop rotation. Farmers benefited from 30 demonstration plots, which serves as hands-on learning spaces. Twelve community gardens generate income for farmers, supplementing household needs. Women are empowered through garden farming, acquiring new skills that contributed to their household income and decision-making power. Training in food processing and value addition enabled smallholder farmers to boost their household income and enhance the market value of their produce.
To tackle water shortages, Farmers’ Clubs Chivi rehabilitated 19 boreholes, improving access to clean water for over 15,000 families. During the planting season, smallholder farmers applied organic manure, promoting biodiversity, soil fertility and water retention. The project promoted economic empowerment among 420 smallholder farmers through Internal Savings and Lending groups, in partnership with the Ministry of Women Affairs. The project distributed 600 chickens to 30 Farmers’ Clubs, enabling members to engage in poultry production and generate income. Collaborating with the Forestry Commission, farmers received training in afforestation, leading to the successful planting of 2,200 fruit trees and 110 grafted lemon and orange trees.
