Resource

Improved Agricultural Practices – Angola (Masiampa)

Farmer-to-Farmer is a USAID-funded initiative, which sends American agricultural/agribusiness experts to developing countries to offer technical assistance to our host organizations. These trips are volunteer-based, but all trip-related expenses are covered by CNFA, and typically last between two and three weeks.

ASSIGNMENT

Masiampa Association is located in the village of Nioxi, about 45 kilometers from Soyo, Zaire Province, Angola. Masiampa currently produces onions, peppers, eggplant, cabbage, okra, carrots, melons, maize, beans, groundnuts, and cassava. The association employs 12 permanent workers, and another 20 temporary workers as needed during the year. Complementing their horticultural production, the association also operates a storefront, provides local transport service, and engages in construction projects.

Masiampa requests an F2F Volunteer in order to be trained on improving their agricultural production techniques:

  • Water management
  • Seed selection/propagation
  • Year-round production, through wet and dry seasons
  • Development of seasonal calendar for production that will meet market demand
  • Use of fertilizers (organic/inorganic)

DESIRED IMPACTS

  • Improved field production/management techniques.
  • Introduction of crop rotation for maintaining healthy crops and soils.
  • Diversification of crop varieties.
  • Improved post-harvest handling.
  • More efficient use of inputs, particularly an increase in use of locally available inputs, such as compost, and a reduction in use of chemical fertilizers.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Willingness to work for a week or more in rural Angola.

• Extensive experience in horticultural production (from greenhouse propagation to harvest/marketing)

• Experience working with farmer cooperatives.

• Must be citizen or permanent resident of the U.S.