Agriservi - 2019 - Snail farming /A new look at subsistence farming
I am a Snail farmer and a subsistence farmer in Mozambique and therefore I also farm with vegetables, mushrooms, cassava, pigs, and ducks and will farm with Dexter cattle in the future.
The year of 2018 ended bad for Agriservi, with still no income and no donor support. We knew that we had to tackle poverty, for ourselves and the people we intend to help, from another angle.
On 02 January 2019 I started my own subsistence farm in the area of Pambara. If I can preach it, it must be possible to practice it.
The Agriservi aim did not change – Agriservi want to invent systems in sustainable agriculture to change the lives of the poor. Whatever I do must be achievable for any other subsistence farmer in Africa or elsewhere in the world.
My need as a subsistence farmer:
- I need to provide food for myself and my family and my animals in a sustainable way.
- I need to provide little extra products that can be changed into a cash-flow to pay for other needs of the family.
- I need to create a system that can expand every year to make myself more sustainable.
Whatever we normally do ends in a lost because the chances are very small that we will be able to market our extra product. When we have got extra product, it means that circumstances were favorable for that product and that everyone else would also have a surplus.
Adapted Marketing strategy for subsistence farmers:
A subsistence farmer needs to be his own preferred buyer for his own product that he produces before he market outside. Do not plant it or produce it if you cannot use it in your own system.
Adapted strategies and preferred products and crops in subsistence farming:
Choose your farm animals:
SNAILS!!!! Giant African Land Snails - Perfect source of protein and perfect to utilize all products I can produce on my farm. On top of everything - I will be able to sell it to outside markets. I put this on top of my list, because you do not need huge sums of money to start your own snail farming.
PIGS!!! Local pigs - Perfect source of protein and I can buy their food from myself and I will be able to market them outside my own system .Second on the list , because you can start with piglets that you buy for very little money and grow them into a system that produce piglets for the market .
DUCKS!!! - Perfect source of protein and I can produce all their food myself and after my own family is fed, I can sell them to outside markets. You only need to acquire a few ducks and within a short time you can start to produce eggs and ducks.
DEXTER cows - My dream for Africa - A Dexter cow is a house animal that produce milk and meat and sleep and play with the children. They are more expensive to buy initially and therefore it can only be achieved in the second or third year, but it is worth it to dream about and to work up to that goal.
Choose your crops:
The big question - What can I produce in a sustainable way that gives the highest returns for the smallest risks and that can feed myself , my family and my farm annimals? I must measure each one to my own different criteria:
- Make sure that you need as small as possible area to produce a relative big crop with low input costs.
- Choose crops that do not need a lot of water.
- Choose crops that are not labor intensive
- Stay away from crops that need to be fertilized and sprayed intensively.
- Do not choose crops that all your neighbors also do.
- Look for crops which might also have an external market.
- Do not plant too many different crops.
- First choose crops that can feed snails and pigs and then crops that can feed you and your family.
My choice of crops:
- Cassava– The perfect plant. You can almost plant it and forget about it, but when you or your animals are hungry you can go and dig out some food. No irrigation needed. No fertilizer or spraying with chemicals. Good source of food for snails, pigs, cattle and human. It can be stored inside or outside the soil for very long periods. There is always an outside market for extra cassava. Cheap to start.
- Sweet potato– The second perfect crop. Needs very little water once it is established. Need very little care. Perfect food for snails, pig’s cattle and human. Can be stored inside or outside the soil for very long periods.All parts of the plant can be utilised. There is always an outside market for sweet potatoes. With a little planning you can always be sure to have your own cheap planting material.
- Spinach- Very hardy plant. Although you do not get a good crop when it is dry, your plant won’t easy die and as soon as you can give water again, you will have something to eat again within a short period. It is very healthy food for snails, pigs, cattle and human. There is always an outside market for spinach. Seed is cheap.
- Makataan(wild watermelon) - Very drought resistant plant and can be produced throughout the year in many hotter areas. The leaves and young fruit is cooked like green vegetables. Seed is a very healthy food. The fruit become very big and can be stored for very long periods. It is good food for snails, pigs, cattle, chickens, ducks and human. Very cheap seed and easy to plant.
- Eggfruit- A very hardy plant that produce a protein food for human and animals. It fits perfectly in the system of being your own market for your own produce. It can be grown throughout the year in the hotter areas. It needs to be irrigated at least once a week. Plant according your capacity to provide water.
- Sorghum- More drought resistant than maize - Cheaper to plant and has less pressure from diseases and pests - Very good food for snails, pigs, cattle, chickens, ducks and human. Can be stored for long periods. If all else fails you might still have your sorghum to fall back on.
- Maize- When it rains there is a good chance that you might have a good crop that can provide food for you and your animals for a relatively long time. High risk if you haven’t got any irrigation. Maize also easy fall prey to diseases and pests.
- Mushrooms- Oyster mushrooms are a very good protein source and became easy enough to produce in almost any backyard. You will need a protected area like an old clay or reed house and some water to create the correct humidity. Outside markets always exist and mushrooms can also be dried for later use or marketing. A little more expertise is needed.
- Your own small vegetable garden. This garden must be of a size that you can water with watering cans and where you can improve the soil with compost and manure from your own animals. The following is my recommendation in the order of importance :
- Tomatoes - Only 20 plants per family of 8, planted every month. It gives a good food for the family and all wastes can be used by your animals. Do not ever plant with the aim to market outside unless you are a commercial farmer. Risks are high. Disease pressure is high and fertilizer requirement is also high. Cost to secure a good crop for marketing is very high and a lot of expertise is necessary.
- Green peepers - Only 20 plants 3 to 4 times per year. All criteria are the same than for tomatoes.
- Jalapeno peppers - At least 20 plants per year - Provide for a good alternative when onions or tomatoes are not available to serve as a base for cooking. Provides a good crop, even with little care.
- Chili – At least 20 plants per year. Good source of food with little care.
- Salads and Herbs - The best option for a remote farm that has got some irrigation water available. The salads you plant mainly for your own use, but if your system allows, extra salad can always easily be marketed. It also serves as a good food for other farm animals. Herbs are an excellent option, especially if you live in an area where more up market people lives. It is easy to market and provides good cash income, even from a very small area. All herbs are a good source of food for the family and farm animals. On top of everything, herbs can be dried easily and marketed later. Plant parsley, arugula, coriander, chives, dill, mint, thyme and basil.
- You can expand on your vegetable garden if your circumstances provide for it, but never to the extent that your resources, like money, water and labor cannot cope with the demand or if it means that you need to neglect any of the items higher up on the priority list.
Who we are: Agriservi is still a private, non-profit, agriculture Company in Mozambique, but for the year of 2019 had to be a subsistence farmer. The primary goal of Agriservi is to assist in the development of semi-commercial farms in Mozambique. Agriservi provides a service to link Donors, Beneficiaries and expert work groups through our operating system.
Agriservi also has an expert work group that can assist any donor to execute the work in any project.
What we work for:
Agriculture and food security. – Many people in Mozambique and especially in the far rural areas are still not sure about at least one meal per day. Food depends too much on rainfall and other problems that cannot be controlled. We work for bigger planting areas, especially for women and older people and to ensure better storage facilities when they do have a crop to harvest.
Sustainable agriculture – We do a very broad investigation as to which people really have the ability to become semi-commercial farmers. We believe that 1 semi-commercial farmer that is up lifted can improve the lives of 20 other people who haven’t got the ability. In this way it is possible to secure sustainable agriculture.
Education – Education in agriculture is an ongoing process, but we also put a lot of emphasis on educating pre-school children and bigger children who was falling out of the school system. At present we have got 45 children in our pre-school and 6 students in our out-of-school program.
Women`s empowerment – Women suffers the most. Many of our registered farmers are women. In some cases the husband is working somewhere else and never come back to support his family or, in many cases, the women never had any husband and try to make a living for her and her children. We pay for teams of hand laborers to help women and old people to clean their land and to do the initial hard work. We also pay for cattle teams to help with their soil preparation.
General better living conditions – It is not possible to live amongst the people and not to get involved in their daily lives. People need to eat and look after children and the sick and the elderly and to carry water while they are also working. We help with then carrying of water. Once a week we take the sick to the nearest hospital. We help to sort out the normal social issues that exist in any area.
Protecting our resources. – When the need for food becomes too strong, the first priority become to de-bush. Without proper planning and education, nothing will be left for the future. We help our farmers with their planning and to take decisions that would help them but also still protect their natural resources.
Fight for water - Although we try, it is not possible to carry water for all those who suffer to get water at their houses. We are working on a project that will give a borehole with a solar pump and 4 tanks to be used by 4 neighboring farmers. This will also enable them to water their crop when it is extremely dry or hot. They will then be able to produce crop throughout the year.