Tungamalenga - CVP Report May 21-2010

2010 CVP
Companion Village Project
Visit Report
5th visit
May 21, 2010

Village Tungamalenga
Pastor Naftali Nga’amilo
Companion Shepherd of the Valley, Apple Valley
Attendees 4
Weather for the past month Dry
Reporter Gabriel Malima

We met the Pastor and few church leaders working on the harvested rice. We had to move around to see all the plots.
Purposes of the visit
• Instructing how to take yield measurements
• To deliver a tin and Liter for taking yield measurements

Topics
1. Rain records
Pastor told us that the rain records are with the Treasury of the congregation who could not attend because he had an emergency. We told them we need to see the records in order to offer them better advice about farming. They are going to keep them until our next visit.

2. Review of Handouts
o 5th visit handout was reviewed
o Yield measurement sheet was reviewed and two copies were provided for yields recording.
3. Demonstration
Corn has already been harvested here. Before they harvested Pastor called us and gave him the instructions through the phone and we are glad they have followed them very well. Corn plants and ears in different three rows (10m) have been counted and clearly recorded. We delivered one tin and one liter for taking measurements. We told them to do the same in the bean plot. To get good comparison, we asked them to do the same in one of the neighbor’s plot(s).
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Plots
I had a discussion with the Pastor about the plots. He said all three plots were moved in different locations this season. He said they moved plots to get access of irrigation water. Bean plot and rice plot seem to perform better this year however corn plot did not have good yield. Pastor said the irrigation water did not reach it. There is on-going on village conflict about irrigation. The government has decided to construct an irrigation scheme to help farmers to utilize efficiently water. The newly constructed irrigation scheme has channels which directing water in a different direction (where there is more land for rice farming). One part of the village did not get water this season and another part got water. There will be land distribution in the newly constructed irrigation scheme, therefore the congregation has asked for a piece of land for the demonstration plot from the village authority. Pastor said there is great possibility to get that land. If they are going to be successful, the plot will move again next year.

• Corn plot
Corn has been harvested. The yield has been poor because of the drought. They said the rain stopped at the filling stage; moreover the rain in the whole season has not been good. The plot was affected by termites. However some of the ears were stolen. In spite of drought the corn variety introduced in the demonstration plot managed to make some good ears hence neighbors who got nothing from their farm stole few of them.
• Bean plot
Bean plot has been planted last month. The plot is in irrigated land and the plants look good. They are about 6-7 inches.
• Rice plot
Rice plot looks okay. The rice is mature and soon to be harvested. This plot got enough irrigation water therefore the drought did not affect it. The variety planted here is highly yield variety.

Conclusions/Recommendations
Although the village has been affected by drought, the farming valley seems to have enough water for irrigation. The rice fields got enough irrigated water hence it seems that they are going to have good rice yield this season. We hope the bean plot will perform better this year.