Recently, Mr. Mbiti who is a farmer based in Mpanda managed to acquire a combine harvester after a tripartite financing model was facilitated between the farmer, NMB Bank (financier) and Reliance Group (as a supplier). This is one of TAPBDS’s roles in facilitating business linkages under the Youth Entrepreneurship for the Future of Food and Agriculture (YEFFA) Project. The project aims to increase the supply of agri-equipment at pre, during and post-production phases to create job opportunities for the youth who in turn offer services such as operating the equipment, repair, maintenance or direct delivery of the mechanization services to the farmers.
After acquisition and as part of addressing potential operational challenges for Mr. Mbiti, two young men by names Mr. Revocatus Kukwa (26) and Mr. Membe Kalemani (28) received specialized training from VETA which equipped them with the skills to operate, repair and maintain the equipment. This is how the project contributes to address the problem of youth unemployment as the two young men will now find a decent work option, while on one side helping equipment owners to maximize utilization of the equipment and on the other side assure farmers of the reliable mechanization services.
The harvester is capable of serving 25-30 acres of paddy per day which translate into an income of Tsh 140,000-150,000 per acre, while the operators earn Tsh 10,000 per acre.