Looking Past The Dry Season

Rain! Grateful for every drop in this region of Tanzania, which is one with the lowest precipitation in the country. This year the rains have come considerably earlyer.

As I was taking these photos I realized how precisely rain and the budding of plants are timed. In all the complexity of biological processes there is a very high degree of precision. The “engineer” of it all has a brilliant mind indeed.

The initial strong rainfalls are an indicator for the smallholders in the area to begin preparing their fields. Although processes here are slow, by not acting timely an inconsiderate farmer can miss his harvest.

Students of Local Secondary School Visiting KT

For transparancy and for giving the students of the local secondary school a special learning experience, we regularily invite students and teachers to our muster farm. Since the school is in direct neighbourhood to our compound, friendly relations are of importance to the leadership of both the school and of KT.

Power Pole Crashed

Power supply here in the region is good, but not always stable.

This time it has hit us directly. One of the power poles on the compound fell and endangered the supply to our main building and two staff houses.

This summer we have noticed gusty winds coming from the sea – stronger than usual and in the night from the 7th to the 8th October that pole fell due to the wind pressure and termites. It kept hanging on the wires and endangered the connection being pulled out. Since the generator wires run over the same pole, that could have meant a total black out.

No injuries, no greater damage. The following day the electricity provideer Tanesco changed the pole.

Slaughter House Trial Run

On 29th September 2021 we have begun the trial run of our new slaughter house. It completes our chickens industry: Laying, hatching, raising, slaughtering butchering and marketing.

Trying out the slaughtering and butchering bevore production is important for optimizing processes in the slaughter house. The next step is to apply for tbs (Tanzanian Bureau of Standardization) certificate, which not only gives us a reputation but is prerequisit for selling our chickens to supermarkets and gastronomy, too.

The house is divided into two sections: the first for slaughtering chickens. Here up to three butchers can work. In the second part there are four tables for butchering and two others for packaging, weighing and labeling the chickens until they are stored in deep freezers. Later, by means of a well insulated coolbox the chickens meat can be transported to the towns of Lindi, Kilwa and as far as Mtwara.

KT Sending Food for Lindi Region flood victims

While normally our practice is the promote poverty reduction through conservation agriculture, sometimes you just have to help no mater what. KT is committed to helping the Lindi Region flood victims. On 2-Feb we had the privilege of helping out with food.

Now we want to help with seeds for these farmers who need to start over planting their fields. Consider helping us do this on a larger scale.

http://kttz.co.tz/get-involved/current-projects/flood-relief/

KT’s Maize (Corn) fields

This year 2020, KT is having some real success with our Maize (corn) fields. Our soil restoration methods are proving very successful. Remember, we are in poor soil suitability and the lowest coastal rainfall area. But the blessings of hard work are paying off and we get the share all these locally sustainable methods to the local farms.