In Tanzania, farmers are adapting to a changing climate in their own terms. With the support of the Government of Flanders and in partnership with Simusolar, Rikolto is working with local communities to improve water management and encourage the use of solar-powered irrigation systems. For farmers like Jeremiah Ayo, these tools could contribute to building a more resilient livelihood.
Jeremiah Ayo is a 70-year-old farmer who grows vegetables in Meru District, near the northern Tanzanian city of Arusha, for a living. Like most families in the region, his has depended on agriculture for generations. However, changing climate patterns have made farming increasingly unpredictable.
“When I was young, we could read the skies to know when to sow and when to harvest. Now, we have to rely on luck, which makes the sowing process much more challenging and increases the risk of a failed harvest,” he says.
Flooding and prolonged dry spells have made it more difficult for farmers like Jeremiah to achieve reliable harvests, particularly on small plots of land where there is little margin for error. Water has become both scarce and more essential than ever.
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Since 2023, Jeremiah has participated in the 'Kilimo Stahimilivu' project, meaning 'Resilient Agriculture' in Swahili, which is funded by the Goverment of Flanders in Tanzania. The project is being implemented by Rikolto in partnership with Simusolar, a social enterprise focused on solar-powered equipment for rural businesses.
The collaboration seeks to introduce climate-smart water management practices and solar-powered drip irrigation systems to farmers' organisations in the districts of Meru and Rungwe.
Jeremiah is a skilled farmer and a prominent figure in his community. Tall and commanding, he naturally inspires respect. He explained that changing rainfall patterns have rendered traditional irrigation methods, such as open canals and diesel-powered pumps, ineffective. According to his experience, these methods often result in water loss, increased operating costs, and environmental degradation. A more efficient solution could be offered by solar-powered drip irrigation systems.
By working on one of the project's 38 demonstration plots, Jeremiah has learned new water-saving techniques, such as drip irrigation, mulching to reduce evaporation, rainwater harvesting and using swales to manage runoff.
"After attending the training sessions and seeing the demonstration plots, I decided to try it myself. I started using drip irrigation alongside other farming practices, such as raised beds, mulching, scheduling watering and harvesting, and storing water with dam liners. I also used improved varieties to grow more chilli peppers. My chilli pepper yield increased from 6,000 to 10,000 kg. This gave me a sense of what is possible.”
Jeremiah’s experience highlights a broader — and not particularly surprising — insight from the project: localised interventions, tailored to the climate and farming conditions of each region, are more effective than standardised approaches.
"Even more people in drought-affected areas such as Meru could benefit from these water-efficient technologies, as long as they receive support to help them set up and maintain the technologies within a clearly defined timeframe" says Harold Lema, our colleague coordinating the project.
'My struggle with the climate is shared by thousands of other farmers. We face the same challenges and cannot feed the cities alone. Today, I feel like an ambassador of sustainable farming techniques, and I want to help others. I won't be able to continue farming for decades, but I can pass on my knowledge to the next generation. Young farmers are the future, but we also need to develop a future for them.”
Looking to the near future, the project is also expanding training and demonstration actions for rainwater harvesting (as part of its climate adaptation strategy) to help farmers manage the increasingly erratic rainfall caused by events such as El Niño more effectively.
The project supports individual farmers and invests in strengthening farmer organisations. In partnership with Perfect Approach, we are working to improve the professionalisation of Farmer Business Groups (FBGs) and Water User Associations (WUAs). Specifically, we are facilitating the development of their knowledge and expertise in water management, group dynamics, financial practices, and governance.
For instance in 2024, 27 FBGs involving 2,293 members completed a training programme to improve their business practices, financial management, leadership skills and clarity of roles.
What encouraged Jeremiah and other farmers to take the leap? Harold, explains:
'The systems deliver water directly to the root zone, reducing evaporation, weed growth, and the spread of diseases by keeping leaves dry. They also save labour and time, as watering is automated and targeted. Although the initial setup cost may be high, it becomes affordable in the long run because it runs on free solar energy, with minimal recurring expenses.”
For Harold, the assumption is that the constant water supply ensures uniform crop growth, that lead to higher yields and better-quality produce. "The main incentive for smallholder farmers to adopt the irrigation technology in this project is the flexible subsidy model, which lowers financial barriers" he says.
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Starting with a land assessment and cost estimation by Simusolar, farmers pay only 20% of the total cost upfront, while the project subsidises 35–50% of the remaining costs. The remaining balance is then repaid over a flexible 22-month period. Additionally, the project and its partners offer ongoing after-sales support, including maintenance and repairs, to motivate farmers. These flexible payment plans and financial support mechanisms have proven essential in making the technology accessible and increase its adoption among the farmers.
The project also managed to expand its activities with additional farming organisations and schools. These now "new partners" have received training and, in a few cases, have installed solar-powered irrigation systems for demonstration and educational purposes. For example, in 2024 alone, two farming organisations and 13 schools are using the irrigation kits facilitated by the project.
Another finding was that most farmers preferred lower-cost solar kits, typically priced between €1,200 and €1,500 — much lower than the initially anticipated range of €1,800 to €2,400. In response, the project introduced a tiered range of systems, including smaller, more affordable options that better matched the financial capacity and land sizes of smallholder farmers. Although the subsidy ratio remained unchanged, the lower unit costs naturally led to reduced overall subsidy expenditure. These adaptations increased adoption, improved value for money, and enhanced accessibility, particularly for lower-income farmers.
From 2023 and 2024, the Kilimo Stahimilivu project had a tangible impact on thousands of farmers beyond Jeremiah’s farm.
Since 2024, the project started to roll out its activities in six additional regions besides Meru and Rungwe: Iringa, Njombe, Manyara, Tanga, Morogoro and Dodoma. Work is underway to increase the number of demonstration plots and accelerate adoption in these areas.
This actions are financed by:
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Do you want to learn more about this project? reach out to our colleague Harold Lema, project coordinator of Rikolto in Tanzania: harold.lema@rikolto.org
This article was adapted from a first version published for a campaign for Belgian readers here.
Edited by Selene Casanova, International Communications Coordinator at Rikolto.
Note: Some quotes have been translated or lightly edited for clarity. We have aimed to preserve the original meaning and voice of the speakers.
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