ZANZIBAR ENTERPRISE AND SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

ZEST PROGRAM COMMERCIAL CASH PROJECT PHASE TWO IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Brian M Touray ZEST PROJECT MANAGER bmtouray@telus.net

2012

ZEST PROGRAM COMMERCIAL CASH PROJECT FACE TWO IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

The project should be divided into five categorical areas, each with its own funding: 1. Monitoring and Evaluation which will allows the project manager and Agronomist to be able continuously monitor and evaluate the progress of the project 2. Training and market place study tours on various areas of Agronomy and Business Development Skills, to be offered to beneficiaries after a needs assessment is completed 3. Farm inputs and raw materials to be provided to beneficiaries 4. Micro-Financing at a low interest rate to be provided to beneficiaries , and the loans must strictly be applied towards agricultural activities, products, tools or materials

The needs assessment to be conducted is to be carried out by the project manager and agronomist, and requires initial funding to be able to visit the current 14 commercial agriculture cash project sites. The project manager will identify reputable seeds companies that provide quality seeds and link them directly with farmers for direct trading.

ZEST COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE CASH PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION IDEAS

The current 14 groups of the commercial agriculture cash project will be compressed to 6 or 8 groups allowing participants to work on their individual farms concentrated in one area. This will make the monitoring and Evaluation and the delivery of training easier. The large concentration of farmers in one area will create high production which is good for marketing.

There will be partnerships with KIZIMBANI Agricultural Research Center and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. Their expertise will be required to help take some soil samples from proposed sites, to determine if the soil requires any sterilization before sowing any seeds. If possible, they should also be able to advice us on various plant diseases and pest, which ones are most likely to affect the type of vegetables to be grown, and how to contain them.

ZEST COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE CASH PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION IDEAS

There must be adequate water source on the sites, to enable farmers to be able to produce all year round, allowing them to meet the market demand. It is also recommended that labeling or branding be introduced, to distinguish between imported produce into Zanzibar and Zanzibar grown produce. Suggestion is that the producers use LOCALLY GROWN IN ZANZIBAR branding Most hotel and restaurant owners including local consumers, indicated that they would love to buy Zanzibar grown vegetables to support and give back to the community, but they have no way of telling what is grown in Zanzibar and what is not.

ZEST COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE CASH PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION IDEAS

It is also recommended that the ZEST Program has its own bank account and signatories, where accountability can be easier when reporting back to the donors.

For marketing purposes, it is recommended that a small workshop composed of members of the hotel, restaurant and vegetable wholesalers are held right before the harvest period of various vegetables. This will help promote and advertise the sale of products by creating awareness of the locally grown in Zanzibar fruits and vegetable bran, and persuading them to support their local communities through buying the products.

ZEST COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE CASH PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION IDEAS