Application for Funding

2 November 2017

Project title:     Transformation from subsistence- into semi-commercial farming

 

Location of the project:     Country:  Mozambique

                                                      Province: Inhambane province

                                                      Districts: Mabote, Unguana and Pambara

Organization Name:             AgriServi

Area of operation:

  1.  Area of Mabote       - GPS coordinates  S23 03 12.7 E34 08 15.6
  2. Area of Unguana    - GPS coordinates  S23 03 58.8 E35 16 13.5
  3. Area of Pambara     - GPS coordinates  S21 54 05.2 E35 05 59.2

Contact details:

Web address             :   www.agriservi.com

E-mail address          :  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Cell phone number: +258 84 10 46 916 (Mozambique)

We have used our own application format, but would welcome any specific application procedures that you might need us to follow.

Executive summary

Agriservi saw the need to change the way poor people think about agriculture. There must be a move from subsistence farming towards semi-commercial farming to make agriculture in poor countries more sustainable.

Agriservi determined the needs of 46 Mozambican farmers. They had several meetings with farmers in 3 areas of the Inhambane Province.

 We registered several smaller projects on the Agriservi operating system to enable possible donors or donor groups to get all information of what we are doing and what we need.

Agriservi believes that we need to start with smaller projects to gradually bring about the change. We are not suppose to change everything, but to build onto everything that already exists. These smaller projects are replicable.

Background information

 

The concept, Agriculture, is born in many remote areas, as little as 40 years ago. The transformation from subsistence living to subsistence farming happened in the Mabote area, for example, only since 1980. Since then, people are suffering to cope with the many changing factors that influenced their lives and caused so much uncertainty from day to day. For many years, they are completely dependent on aid organizations to provide them with food. Transformation into something more sustainable is now important.

Agriservi, with its own long background in uplifting agriculture in rural areas, visited the areas of Mabote, Unguana and Pambara on a weekly basis. Every visit started with a meeting with the community and then visits to all individual role players in the farming sector. During these meetings all participants looked at the past and determined a way forward. Agriservi also gained experience during their involvement with other aid organizations such as JAM International, Plan International, All Africa, Techno Serve, Mozambique Organicos and other smaller individuals.

AgriServi came to the conclusion that there is a big need to help farmers to change from subsistence farming to semi-commercial farming. When consulting people of each community, it was obvious that all were facing the same problems and that the problems can be overcome if we can win to change the way in which poor people think about agriculture. Most people still see agriculture as something that poor people do to stay alive. Farming is not seen as an occupation.  Registered semi-commercial farms hardly exist.

AgriServi is determined to change as many as possible subsistence farmers into semi-commercial farmers to ensure sustainability in the agricultural sectors of poorer communities.  The success that AgriServi, with the help of our donors, can achieve in the 3 small indentified areas, has got the potential to change the world of agriculture for many people in many countries.

Our communities have suffered a lot during all the years and gained valuable experience themselves. It is believed that building onto this experience, and not to break it down as if it was nothing, will be the way that AgriServi plan to go forward. We need to take what they have got and then improve on it. For this reason Agriservi identified a lot of smaller projects, some for individuals and other for smaller groups. All projects, however, are specific to a registered semi-commercial farmer.  Agriservi will not be involved in any community project, unless there is registered ownership of each individual of the community. We believe that it is necessary for the farmers to continue with their lives , as normal as possible , while AgriServi fills the bits and pieces that is needed to make each semi-commercial farm economically viable and sustainable. This will ensure that when AgriServi moves out, it would not leave a gab that the individuals cannot overcome themselves.

AgriServi has got the ability and the expertise to make your contribution work for the poor. We can together establish a culture of hope and a culture of “It is Possible “for this generation and the generations to come. When the success of our semi-commercial farmers becomes visible, others will follow. Although AgriServi is the only work group that is presently registered on the AgriServi website, it is an open system and available for anyone with expertise to register a project that can benefit semi-commercial farming.

Goals

  1. Improve food security in drought stricken areas through the transformation of subsistence farmers into semi-commercial farmers.
  2. Empower poor African farmers to become distinctive role players in their community, who can provide for themselves as well as others.
  3. Providing a link, through our operating system, to introduce donors and beneficiaries to each other and to get an operating work group to register a project for the beneficiary needs.
  4. To make it possible for more people to easily get involved in the transformation of Agriculture in poor countries.

Objectives

  1. To register the first new 60 semi-commercial farmers by end of 2017.
  2. To register a specific project for each of these farmers customized to their specific needs.
  3. To get the AgriServi operating system known to the needed role players.
  4. To get our first donors to commit before end of 2017.
  5. To get the first 3 outside “work groups” to register projects on the operating system.

Beneficiaries

The beneficiaries of all the different projects took part in the decisions. We did not merely looked at their needs from our side, but we actually had a deeper look into their own lives. We visited their houses and spend some time with them to understand their problems and the reasons why they should be helped .They had the opportunity to tell us something good and something bad that have happened to them. They also had to tell us a “Never Forget” story. This helped us to know exactly who we are working with and to form a sort of bond with each one.

The profiles of each beneficiary are available from our website under “Informative articles” or in the section “Project information “.

All beneficiaries are either women-only farming enterprises or husband and wife combinations.

The beneficiaries include:

     Mabote area –de-bushing: 32 semi-commercial farmers with 224 dependants.

     Unguana area – local pig farming:  10 semi-commercial farmers with 92 dependants.

     Pambara area – local pig farming: 4 semi-commercial farmers with 37 dependants.

     Unguana area – de-bushing:  10 semi-commercial farmers with 92 dependants.

The registration of projects for the same beneficiaries will be ongoing and new beneficiaries are registered as a continuous program.

Activities

The complete description of each activity can be found from the project information on the AgriServi website.

Activity list for Mabote de-bushing:

  1. Measure out and plot areas to be cleaned. - AgriServi
  2. Work site preparation and Buying of material. - AgriServi
  3. Identify and contract the necessary operator. - AgriServi
  4. De-bushing of the different areas. – Contractor
  5. Ongoing supervision  - AgriServi

Activity list for Unguana and Pambara Local pig farming:

  1. Cut open the lines for 4 camps in a 1 ha. Area. – Beneficiaries
  2. Buying material – 100 poles, 1800m steel wire, nails. - AgriServi
  3. Making holes and plant the poles. - AgriServi work team
  4. Pulling of the wires, 3 lines. –AgriServi work team
  5. Family fills in with local material. – Beneficiaries
  6. Building of a proper water-drinking facility for each camp. – AgriServi work team
  7. Ongoing supervision – AgriServi

Schedule

AgriServi will follow a schedule to suits both donors and beneficiaries. The availability of funds will determine the commencement date of each project. Duration of each project is stipulated on the AgriServi website under each project.

It is important to finish any given project in as short as possible time to not disturb the normal rhythm of agriculture.

Time frames of all projects are discussed on the AgriServi website.

The Organization

Agriservi is a new private Company formed to assist in the transformation of subsistence farming to semi-commercial farming.

 The Agricultural work group varies in size, depending on the nature of the projects that are available. The members of the group are all more work orientated each with specific skills. The leaders of the Group are Abraham van Tonder and Luciano Gove. The workers are selected from the local area and managers for certain projects are employed when needed. Agriservi has got a huge base of people that have worked with them before in other projects.   

Our experience specifically stretched into strategic  planning; budgeting ; operating within  financial disciplines; administration ; practical farming in both modern- and  basic farming techniques ; modern and basic irrigation systems , fertilizer application and crop protection ; developing of new crops and planning of new farms or projects ; building of infrastructure ; upgrading of existing farms and projects . 

Skills Base

  • Irrigation, application of fertilizers, crop protection and manipulation.
  • Registered technician for application of Chemical plant protection resources. AVCASA
  • Registered technician for recommending and applying fertilizers.BASOS
  • Erecting and running of nurseries and crop under protection.
  • Equipped to enforce safety in the workplace according to NOSA standards.
  • Building of infra structure, houses and irrigation systems.

Costs and Benefits

The costs of each project are different and the figures we give, is merely a guideline or an average cost.

Local pig farming in Unguana - 10 pig system: The average cost per system is USD 1500 and will cover the cost for the infra-structure that is needed. Inputs from each beneficiary, the community and other role players, like Hope and Healing, Private individuals and volunteers are not part of this cost figure.

Agriservi believes that it is appropriate to first concentrate on the most important needed items and handle with them on a small scale basis. Circumstances will change after each phase and the total input from the community and the beneficiaries will increase.

The pig project at each of the 10 new semi commercial farmers, will improve their income with USD1500 during the first year and USD 2500 to USD 3000 from the second year. It will continuously improve thereafter.

The selective de-bushing of the area of Mabote at an initial cost from the pockets of our donors will be USD 32000. This is an expenditure of USD 1000 per semi-commercial farmer or USD 125 per person benefiting from the project. As the benefits further continue over the years, there will be a tremendous reduction in the costs of support by organizations like the WFO and JAM International and other groups.

All registered projects on the Agriservi system are first phase or rather initial phase projects.

Monitoring

All projects are of a smaller nature and will be handled off over a very short time span and under the direct supervision and management of the Agriservi work group. Each project will be monitored by the community itself through their leaders and other expertise in the area of agriculture.

All updates will be available on a continuous basis by means of the Agriservi operating system. Updates will be done on a 2-daily basis, with a final update and report on the system when a project is completed. Monitoring will continue after the completion of each project and progress in the transformation process will be followed by Agriservi.  

Reporting

Agriservi will discuss the reporting and evaluation criteria with each possible donor, to meet their requirements and their formats.

Our own reporting and evaluation are available on our operating system. Work on each project is updated every second day, while the work is in progress. Financials are also open and available on the operating system. Month-end reporting is done for ourselves and is send to each donor, but in the format they require.

Budget

Project costs: Partly de-Bush 128 ha in Mabote area

  1. Hire of TLB machine     – USD 19000
  2. Transport and fuel – USD 3300
  3. Management, salaries and wages.  – USD 5000
  4. Chain saws and repairs.  – USD 3000
  5. Cost of temporally accommodations. – USD 1800

Total costs = USD 32100

Project costs: Local pig farming -10 pig systems for 14 farmers

  1. Opening the lines.    - USD 40
  2. Buying material – USD 300
  3. Making holes and planting poles.  – USD 40
  4. Pulling of the wires.  – USD 100
  5. Building of water-drinking facilities x 4. – USD 300
  6. Family work.
  7. Workgroup fees  -  USD  620
  8. Transport costs  - USD 100

Total = USD 1500

Total costs for 14 farmers = USD 21000.

Project costs: De-bush 20 ha in Unguana area

  1. Employ chainsaw team – 2 chainsaws for 20 days – Rental of machines , operators and running costs – USD 1000
  2. TLB hire for 15 days , plus operator plus fuel -USD 4780
  3. Cleaning –up  - 5 people for 10 days   -  USD 200
  4. Accommodation for contract period – USD 200
  5. Workgroup fees  -  USD 1200
  6. Transport costs  - USD 400

Total costs = USD 7780