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One year ago, we shared an uplifting success story of resilience and hope from the isolated Chiefdom of Malama, Eastern Province.
In 2022, making history in the Chiefdom with the help of BCP’s market linkage and arrangement of transport, 25 farmers sold a combined total of 10.928 tons of soybeans straight from their doorstep to the buyer, Kalawani General Dealers, in this direct market linkage.
A year later we revisited the same community not only to find that their lives were improved as a result of this link, but that they were flourishing from even greater market connections! With these Market linkages now steadfast in the community, they’ve seen an increase in productivity and household income generation… which is exactly what we want to see!
Having seen the benefits from 2022, for the 2023 season, the farmers in Malama increased their soybeans production to 28.5 tons to support an estimated 260 families. With BCP once again supporting the community with transportation of the soybeans, the total money received by farmers in the community this season was K139,862.00 (roughly $8,000+) from Mt Meru (a Soybeans off-taker in the District).
“We have been taught how to make farming into a business. Here in Malama, we never used to grow any crops for selling because there was no market. We only used to grow enough food for our home consumption. When BCP came into partnership with the community, we were given an opportunity to uplift our standard of living and reduce on poverty levels we were so used to living in. Through the training of Lead Farmers on climate-smart agriculture and now these market linkages, our lives are changing!”
Ms. Fridah Chulu, Malama Resident and Farmer.
The revenue from the soybeans has gone towards buying more seeds and farming inputs so that the farmers of Malama can diversify their yields, ensure food security in the face of drought or flooding, and capitalize on future opportunities to access the formal marketplace.
BCP supports 522 Lead Farmers (200 of whom are women) across both of our project areas in conservation farming training, and farming inputs, and with a move towards setting up more market linkages to help farmers access a wider market.
