ABSTRACT Commercializing subsistence agriculture is essential for improving the smallholder farmers‟ productivity in Sub-Saharan African countries including Tanzania. However, without the adoption of productivity-enhancing technologies such as improved seeds, the realization of such an improvement is inevitable. Arguably, for smallholder farmers to adopt new technologies, they need to feel their impact on their livelihoods. This study assesses the adoption, commercialization and impact of...
ABSTRACT This study aimed at investigating the impact of price and non-price factors on cashew and sesame acreage in Nachingwea and Mtwara rural Districts. Growth rates analyses were also conducted through linearlized exponential growth model to trace the trends for area, yield (productivity) and production of the two crops for the period 1995-2010. The general trend showed positive growth rates in area, yield and production, but with few exceptions. Meanwhile, the logarithmic functional for...
ABSTRACT A study on the impact of cost sharing was carried out in Geita District focussing on health service provision. A cross sectional research design was adopted involving administration of structured questionnaires to both primary and secondary partners, complemented by relevant documentation from various levels of stakeholders in the study area. Statistical Package for Social services (SPSS) software was employed in data coding and analysis. The study revealed that the aim of cost shar...
ABSTRACT The poultry sub-sector in Kenya accounts for about fifty five percent of the livestock sector and thirty percent of the agricultural Gross Domestic Product. However, gains from the Indigenous Chicken (IC) enterprises have been challenged by market inefficiencies characterised by high transaction costs and poor accessibility of market information. In response to this, the Kenyan government private sector partnership has in the recent times, been promoting the formation and developm...
ABSTRACT This study examined how the establishment of Kitulo National Park (NP) affected community livelihoods and its implications on sustainable conservation in Makete District Tanzania. Specifically, the study concentrated on community attitude towards establishment of Kitulo NP; documenting livelihood changes before and after Kitulo NP. Also, it focused on determining suitability of new livelihood options to the community after establishment of Kitulo NP and hence evaluating potential im...
ABSTRACT Wildlife corridors are features connecting two or more otherwise isolated patches of habitat and are among the areas of land affected by human activities. Corridors are much affected because in most cases they are not legally protected. This study assessed the impacts of human activities on the conservation of Igando-Igawa wildlife corridor in Mbarali and Njombe Districts. Specifically, the study determined socio-economic and cultural activities, the level of human disturbances to ...
ABSTRACT Sage (Salvia officinalis L.) belongs to Lamiacea family. It is well known as a common medicinal and aromatic plant widely used in food as well as herbal medicine products. It has wide applications in food flavouring, cosmetics and perfumery by the use of its essential oil. In Kenya, it is increasingly becoming important mostly being grown by export farms. Its leaf productivity is however often limited by nitrogen and phosphorus, which are deficient in many Kenyan soils. The problem i...
ABSTRACT An assessment of quality parameters of farmer saved pigeon pea seeds was conducted in Babati and Karatu Districts in northern Tanzania. Pigeon pea seed samples were collected from 80 households (farmers), 40 from each district; for testing of their physical and health quality status with respect to three post-harvest handling practices (storage, pre storage seed treatment and seed sorting) following ISTA procedures. Results were then compared with national standards of pigeon peas s...
ABSTRACT The main objective of the study was to assess the effect of certified organic production systems on the livelihood of smallholder producers in Kenya. The study followed explanatory research design using two purposively pro-poor chosen case studies (honey production in Mwingi district and vegetables production in Ngong district). Collection of primary data was through face-to-face interviews using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Collection of contextual data was through focu...
ABSTRACT Botswana’s agricultural backbone the beef subsector, is threatened by recurrent foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreaks. The current study was generally carried out to contribute towards better livelihoods of smallholder beef producers through enhanced resilience of their production systems to FMD in North East district, Botswana. Specifically, the study intended to; determine smallholder producers’ perceived risk factors of the 2011 FMD outbreak, determine economic losses, and fu...
EXTENDED ABSTRACT Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a main staple food crop in many African countries including Tanzania, but to other countries in Asia is a cash and industrial crop. The major cassava growing areas in Tanzania includes the Lake Zone (Mwanza, Kagera, Mara, Simiyu, Geita and Shinyanga), Southern zone (Mtwara, Ruvuma and Lindi), Eastern zone (Coast, Tanga and Morogoro) and Zanzibar (Pemba and Unguja). In Tanzania cassava is cropped continuously in the same field with no o...
ABSTRACT Blackberry (Rubus L. sub-genus Rubus Watson) fruits grow wild in Kenya; though in some parts of the world they have been adopted and are cultivated commercially. However, limited information is available regarding, growth characteristics, fruit yield and quality of wild species growing in Kenya under conventional production. The objective of the study was to contribute towards increased blackberry cultivation, by evaluating the performance of wild blackberry species under conventiona...
ABSTRACT The study was carried out on station at Agricultural Research Institute- Uyole and onfarm at Mwandobela during the 2011/12 cropping season. The objective of this study was to improve crop productivity and soil fertility of smallholder farmers through use of five different leguminous cover crops. The study was carried out in two phases. The first phase was aimed at determining biological nitrogen fixation of the cover crops. The second phase was aimed at determining the rate and pat...
ABSTRACT Microfinance has shown to be an effective tool for combating poverty and improving the wellbeing of the poor. Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) area community managed micro finance thathas been reported to attain outreach and impact to rural people better than formal, centralized microfinance institutions.However, the VSLA sector in Tanzania is rapidly changing in terms of its operations; these changes are introducing both innovations and new risks that are affecting the...
ABSTRACT In an attempt to replicate the successful Japanese Satoyama watershed management model in the African agro-ecosystems, sawah rice cultivation technology has been introduced to West Africa in the last two decades. This study was conducted in inland valley at two different locations (Akaeze and Ikwo), to evaluate the effects of sawah water management systems on soil properties and rice grain yield. A split-split-plot in a randomized complete block design was used to evaluate these th...