Itasy, June 2019
Farmers and nursery owners of the Mahavotra project that you support through your donations, are part of a network called “Master-Farmers” (French abbreviation: MEx).
The Master-farmers are farmers who train other farmers (usually their neighbors living in isolated rural areas) to agroecological best practices.
Training session on re-contouring land use
In the Itasy Region, Master-Farmers also grow agricultural services in order to increase their income, such as cutting or production and sale of seedlings (nurseries).
Jean-Maurice (MEx) has grown a new income-generating activity: a nursery
In the movie* recently made by Agrisud International, the nursery owner Jean-Maurice Rakotoniaina explains: “Every year we produce 70,000 fruit tree seedlings and 100,000 to 150,000 forest seedlings […] 15 people work here in total […] I can say that I am currently financially independent.”
Beyond plantings, this movie shows how Itasy farmers get trained and organized to develop a sustainable agriculture with strong economic and environmental impact on their territory.
Next article: First assessment!
