ENABLE-TAAT is collaborating with the Mvomero District Council in the Morogoro region to build the capacity of more youth and ensure more youth-led agribusiness enterprises. The role of Mvomero district is to mobilize youth in the wards into groups through the ward agricultural officers while ENABLE-TAAT provides the selected youths with training and other technical support.  The district will also link the trained beneficiaries to funding opportunities to start their businesses.

In light of this partnership, ENABLE-TAAT recently trained 150 youth in the Morogoro region, Tanzania, on rice production and other opportunities along the value chain for income generation and employment creation.

The training focused on good agricultural practices of rice production including planting, weed management, pest and disease control, and value addition, as well as business management skills to enable the youth to improve their agribusiness activities and contribute to food security.

Rice is the second most cultivated food and commercial crop in Tanzania after maize, with a cultivated area of about 681,000 ha, which represents 18% of the cultivated land. Morogoro region is among the two major regions for rice cultivation.

The training was a mix of theoretical and practical modules including the development of soft skills and business plans.

Samia Charles, one of the beneficiaries, described the training as key and recommended the project team add more training programs to ensure consistent and effective transfer of knowledge to youth and other farmers.

“I admit that these trainings are good, and we should have similar trainings for youth on other crops. I am going to use the knowledge gained from this training on my farm,’’ said Samia.