The Tanzania Agricultural Partnership II (TAP II), implemented from 2015 to 2020, was a five-year programme focused on scaling Conservation Agriculture practices among smallholder farmers in Tanzania. The initiative targeted key districts with the aim of improving productivity, enhancing resilience to climate variability, and strengthening sustainable farming systems.
KEY PROJECT DETAILS
- Project Name: Tanzania Agricultural Partnership II (TAP II)
- Duration: 2015 – 2020
- Focus Area: Conservation Agriculture
- Target Districts: Same, Moshi Rural, Monduli, Babati, Kiteto
- Implementing Partner: CFU Tanzania
- Coordinated by: Agricultural Council of Tanzania (ACT)
- Donor: NORAD
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The TAP II programme was designed to embed Conservation Agriculture practices in regions facing soil degradation and unpredictable rainfall. CFU Tanzania played a key role in delivering specialized training to farmers on minimum tillage techniques such as ripping, crop residue retention, and crop rotations with legumes. These practices helped farmers improve soil fertility, conserve moisture, and increase agricultural productivity.
KEY ACTIVITIES
- Training farmers on Conservation Agriculture practices
- Promotion of minimum tillage (ripping) techniques
- Encouraging crop residue retention and soil cover
- Introduction of crop rotation systems with legumes
- Establishment of demonstration plots for practical learning
- Farmer capacity building through extension services
IMPACT
- Trained over 26,000 farmers across five districts
- Increased maize yields from 1.9 to 4.3 tons per hectare (126% increase)
- Improved soil fertility and moisture retention
- Reduced soil erosion in sloping farming areas
- Increased farmer income and food security
- Enhanced resilience to climate variability