DCL managed grants and enterprise development for the USADF livelihood programme from 2014 to 2021 supported pro-poor community-based producer groups and farmers’ cooperatives through participatory project development and implementation. The programme’s strategy focused on agriculture and agri-enterprise value chains engaged in horticulture, coffee, and cereals.

Established in 2009, HomeVeg is a private fresh vegetable and fruits exporting company located in Arusha, partnering with groups of farmers in the Northern regions of Tanzania, namely Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Tanga. HomeVeg had limited capacity and experience to deal with technical and managerial competences to source and manage diverse groups of farmers from various geographical locations some as far as 200 kilometres away. Basically it faced limitation in securing sufficient quantities and quality produce from 1,400 smallholder farmers to enable the company to meet the demand and standards of the EU market.

In 2014-15, DCL supported HomeVeg with technical support and training to its managerial and extension staff to improve agronomy and post-harvest techniques according to Global GAP standards. The trained staff later trained smallholder producer groups to ensure increased production and improved quality of green beans and sugar snaps while reducing post-harvest losses to increase the supply chain. The technical support provided by service providers assessed by DCL, enabled the company to develop business plan and manage company operations. Following this capacity development, the company secured sufficient and improved quality produce to supply to the EU market.