Nackson Ngimbuchi is a young farmer who is 24 years old. He lives, together with his wife, in the village Matiganjola, in the Njombre region in Tanzania. He has 2 pigs and 24 chickens. He also is the owner of 1 acre of maize, ¼ acre of cabbage and 2 acres of avocados, accommodating 160 trees.
In 2019 Nackson became a member of Matiganjola AMCOS. The main reason therefore was that he wanted to participate in a training provided by an extension officer through the cooperative. He explains: “It was easier to participate as a member than as a non-member. And the membership offered two other advantages; easier input ordering through the cooperative and access to the collective market, especially for maize.
Before he joined the cooperative, it was difficult for Nackson to sell his yield at a good price. He was harvesting a lot, but his income was still low. “I used to sell maize for 237 TZS/kg. When I became a member this price was 300-400TZS/kg.”
Thanks to the good price for his products and the sale thereof through the cooperative, Nackson has been able to buy a plot of land on which to build a house. He also runs his own business-restaurant. “Because I earn money through my yields, it has helped me save and open a restaurant and stop relying on agriculture only.”
Nackson is especially enthusiastic about the Record Keeping training. “I was always doing my work without keeping any record. This training has helped me a lot. I now have more insights. Through the cooperative, I have been able to learn what I should do, at what time I should do it, and, how to do it correctly.”
He is proud and happy of now being part of the cooperative. “If I had not yet joined the cooperative I would still be selling my produce to speculators and I would not have been able to achieve the success that I have achieved so far. For now it is most important to see the party grow and strengthen itself more. This will also help me to get my own needs well served. I also like to continue the cultivation of maize and other crops on 1-3 acres.
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