ATTS agroforestry project: Planting Moringa and Jatrofa

    ATTS is advocating for a moringa/ jatrofa agroforestry, model which has proven to be successful to address the challenges of:, alleviating poverty, securing livelihoods and economically empowering women, in a successful partnership with local communities, academic, private sectors and national financial institutions.

   The pilot project utilized an area of 3 feddans in Khartoum North, 5km North of the capital City of Khartoum with the aim to be replicated in other states of Sudan utilizing a microfinance investment. The pilot project initially planted an area of 3 feddans (1 feddan = 0.42 ha). The area is enough to be managed by one family and would fulfil their need of cereal and vegetable consumption.

Moringa trees were planted along side ridges of the watering canals together with the vegetables and main cereal crops, preferred at each particular location. Jatrofa is used as a life fence.  Moringa is a multipurpose tree known for nitrogen fixing, grows best in dry sandy soil and is drought resistant; it provides shade, nutritious food, medicine and oil for cooking and other products and can even purify and clarify water. The leaves are harvested to be sold as green tea and the stripped branches as animal fodder together with seed pods. The seeds are also sold to private sector, or crushed and sold as oil used for cooking and the cakes as animal feed. The model also includes provision of livestock and continuous supply of water. Jatrofa is used as biodiesel, lighting and soap making. Implementation in rural areas will target groups of ten families on 30 feddans where a well will be drilled and shared by ten families who are asked to be comanised in a farmer association. The project is linked with the Central Bank microfinance in support of the intervention.