Nyanzwa CVP Visit Report - Aug 30-2012

2009 CVP Companion Village Project 6th Visit, Year Three August 30, 2012 Village Nyanzwa Pastor Luhwano Mwafute Companion Easter Lutheran Attendees 12 Weather for the past month Dry Reporters Gabriel and Rev. Mang’ulisa In this visit we were accompanied by Ms Itiweni Luhwago, personnel from Microfinance Institute of Tumaini University. She came here to meet and talk with the leaders of the Parish and leaders of the saving and Credits Cooperative Society of this village. Purposes of the visit: • To collect the yield measurement • To deliver grain storage chemical “Shumba” • End of season discussion and planning for the next farming season Topics: 1. Review of the handouts • 6th Visit instruction handout • Yield recording sheet 2. Harvesting: The yields of both corn and seeds are very poor. Both crops were late planted and management was not good. 3. Storage: We trained them on the storage of food crops. Since they depend on selling onions and buy corn from near by villages, we told them they should buy the corn and beans now before the prices have risen. We instructed them to mix grain storage pesticide “shumba” and the appropriate volume of grain as recommended. The storage pesticides can be used for both corn and beans. 4. The past farming season Corn and bean plots have not performed well. This has been occurring every year due to drought condition and poor management of the demonstration plots. Although the seed varieties are drought resistant, without good management they can not performed well. Comments  Pastor said, although the demonstration plots have not performed well, some of the techniques have been adopted by the some people. They have learned to close spacing, minimum tillage and leaving the crop residues to minimize water loss from their farms Conclusion The parish has not been doing a good job in managing the plots. However we were encouraged by the reports about people who are now adopting the good farming techniques. We advised them to save food for domestic uses to prevent hunger I their village.