Day 5: TechnoServe and the Private Sector

The TechnoServe Deputy Country Director for Tanzania, Alex Mkindi shared some great information with us about what his company does to help their clients. TechnoServe provides business solutions to rural and farming communities to alleviate rural poverty.

Alex has a Bachelors degree in Agricultural Economics from an African University and an Agricultural Economics Masters degree from the University of Nebraska. He really understood the Agricultural sector in Tanzania and did a great job explaining it.

He discussed the value chain for 3 dominant crops in Tanzania: cashewb (2nd largest), banana and coffee (3rd largest). TechnoServe helps and encourages farmers to form "farmer business groups" (similar to cooperatives) so that farmers can increase their buying power and reduce the value chain to increase their profit.

TechnoServe also provides agronomic, entrepreneurial and financial training to its rural clients. Lastly, Alex encourages his clients to practice crop rotation by planting sesame and cassava in the off season of the primary crops to make the best use of their resources.

TechnoServe recently received 46.9 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and additional millions from Google to give rural communities a hand up instead of a hand-out.