ABSTRACT Multi Stakeholder Platforms (MSPs) form an important initiative in bringing together multiple actors along a community value chain to address challenges and identify opportunities to generate innovations in agriculture. There is limited empirical information on the performance of MSPs in agricultural sector. The specific objectives of the study were to identify the existing stakeholders supporting agribusiness development; to evaluate the roles of stakeholder and to determine the fa...
ABSTRACT The general objective of this study was to analyze the dairy value chain in the Dar es Salaam milk shed in order to provide information for improving linkages between actors and efficiency in the value chain. Both primary and secondary data were used. Primary data were collected using Participatory Rapid Appraisal method and structured questionnaires administered to a sample of 125 dairy value chain actors. Concentration ratios were estimated to assess market power. Market margin wa...
ABSTRACT This study was done on factors that influence empowerment of cooperative members particularly in Agricultural Marketing Cooperative Societies (AMCOS) in Mwanza region. The study focused on the following specific objectives: (i) to determine factors for limited access to information among cooperative members; (ii) to determine reasons for limited cooperative members’ participation; (iii) to analyze causes of cooperative members’ inability to hold their officials/ leaders account...
ABSTRACT Commercialization of agriculture refers to shift from subsistence oriented production to an increasing complex production and consumption system based on market; apart from marketing agricultural output it also includes product choice, input use and decisions making based on profit maximization. It has been documented that agriculture commercialization in Tanzania remains to be marginal and less than one third of farmers’ produce might possibly reach commercial market; very few fa...
ABSTRACT Producers in most developing countries lack the means to mitigate price risk, and this affect their income and ability to repay loans. Warehouse Receipt System facilitate development of simple mechanism by which producers, lenders and traders can secure a floor price by looking in a fixed future price. The general objective of this study was to assess the performance of WRS by describing the WRS operating in cotton sector, analyzing profitability of the WRS to cotton production, ide...
ABSTRACT Two studies were conducted to assess utilization of locally available feed ingredients for cattle fattening under traditional feedlotting system in North Western Tanzania. The first study involved identification of feed materials used for fattening in Misungwi and Kahama districts. Information on feed materials and diet formulation used by cattle fatteners were collected through focus group discussion. The feeds identified were analysed for chemical composition. In the second study...
ABSTRACT The overall objective of the present study was to examine price linkages between maize and rice to inform food policy in Tanzania. The specific objectives were: i) to analyze trends in monthly wholesale prices for maize and rice in selected markets; ii) to determine the degree of price transmission between maize and rice; iii) to determine the direction of causality between maize and rice prices. A purposive sampling was used to draw a sample of ten (10) markets /regions. The study ...
ABSTRACT Despite various efforts by international non-governmental, local public and private institutions towards the research and development of improved crop technologies, the use of improved seeds in Tanzania is still low hence low agricultural productivity among smallholder farmers. The general objective for this study was to identify the most preferred improved maize seed varieties and the determinants for the demand for those improved seeds in rural mainland Tanzania so as to suggest m...
ABSTRACT This study presents the results on the impact assessment of credit under Kagera Agricultural and Environmental Management Project (KAEMP) on rural livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Misenye district, Kagera region. The general objective was to assess the impact of agricultural credit under KAEMP on smallholder farmers’ rural livelihoods. The specific objectives were to identify socio-economic factors within the project environment that influence the use of credit, assess the us...
ABSTRACT In western Uluguru Mountains, professionals have introduced soil and water conservation (SWC) practices which, if properly followed, would conserve the soil and promote agriculture. Various high value crops (HVC) promotion interventions and others which could serve as incentives were executed to aid attainment of this objective. Despite these efforts, today, in most fields we see more of annual ridges, the conventional farming practice which is not effective in SWC and other forms o...
ABSTRACT Estimating crop response to fertilizer application and identification of effective fertilizer materials is important for plant nutrient management and in sustaining soil fertility. Unlike other agro-ecological zones, no fertilizer recommendations have been established for the semi-arid zones in Tanzania. This could be due to the fact that semi-arid areas are regarded as marginal land for agricultural production. To address this gap, field experiments were carried out to establish ph...
ABSTRACT This study intended to assess challenges facing supply of outgrowers sugarcane to Mtibwa factory in Morogoro, Tanzania using a sample of 210 respondents. The main objective was to investigate problems leading to low supply of cane from outgrowers. Specifically the study aimed to (i) Investigate factors affecting farm level productivity,(ii) Analyze sugarcane outgrowers technical efficiency, (iii) Determine profitability of sugarcane production among outgrowers and (iv) Examine cons...
ABSTRACT Two studies were carried out in Kibaha District to investigate feeding practices and performance of dairy cattle kept by smallholder farmers. In experiment 1, a formal survey aimed at assessing the existing feeding practices, performance and constraints, involved 30 dairy farmers from 3 wards. In experiment 2, twenty four (24) lactating cows from two wards, that is 12 cows from each ward, were monitored for one month where intakes and milk yield were measured. In experiment 1; the p...
EXTENDED ABSTRACT Woodlot farming has potential of improving livelihood of both women and men. However, little is known on the extent to which woodlot benefits the livelihood of women and men in Mufindi District. The study was conducted to examine gendered livelihood outcomes from woodlots. The specific objectives were to describe roles played by women and men in woodlot farming, to assess factors affecting women and men woodlot ownership, to analyze and compare woodlot livelihood outcomes o...
ABSTRACT Micro-credit funding for income-generating activities is one of the current anti-poverty measures that are adopted by many developing countries to alleviate poverty amongst the poor. The study was conducted in Mbeya Municipality to asses the overall impact of credit to borrowers. Both questionnaire and personal observation methods were used to collect data amongst borrowers in Mbeya Municipality. A total of 100 respondents were interviewed, and collected data were analyzed using Sta...