Farm to Market Alliance (FtMA)

Smallholder farmers are potential engines for economic growth – they are key to building sustainable food systems, advancing food security and achieving Zero Hunger.

FtMA has adopted a demand-led approach that puts empowerment of farmers at the heart of its work. This is achieved by building a network of self-sustaining Farmer Service Centre’s (FSCs) that provide a variety of services to enhance farmer’s productivity, increase market linkages and encourage farm digitization. All with the overall objective of increasing farmer’s productivity and income.

The Farm to Market Alliance establishes one stop centers for farmers to access inputs, supplies, equipment, linkages to market and knowledge on value addition close to their homes, cutting down on knowledge gaps and transportation costs. It increases their productivity, income and develops commercial viability by providing adequate information, investment and support at all stages of the process – from seed to market.

The Farmer Service Centers trains rural aggregators, equips them and links them to marketing systems. In this way Farmer Service Centres become agents for the smallholder farmers to be able to obtain better prices for their crops and other produce.

We facilitate the establishment of linkages with service providers, suppliers of seeds and demo packs and providers of herbicides and fertilizer to the farmers.

DAPP implements the project in Monze, Pemba and Choma districts of Southern Province is linked to the Farmers’ Clubs where these are established or are stand-alone projects.

The project also increases private sector investment and involvement in the smallholder food sector because it builds the confidence of players in agricultural markets in doing business with smallholder farmers.

It is funded by World Food Programme (WFP).

Some key results from 2022