Agricutlture|Livestock Sector|Natural Resources

Agriculture

Current Status|Crop Production|

Current Status:
Tanzania’s economy depends crucially on agriculture for development. About 50 percent of the country’s GDP comes fro this sector and between 65 and 75 per cent of the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.

About 85 percent of the estimated 2.7 million population (2002) of the region is rural and relies on agriculture, livestock keeping and fishing activities for subsistence and income. The agricultural sector which includes crop farming, livestock,forestry, hunting and fishing is the backbone of Mwanza regional economy contributing at least 65 percent of all regional GDP earnings.

A good proportion of the region’s soils are of low fertility and rainfall in the region is erratic in many areas. These two factors contribute significantly in crop harvest variations year to year. It is estimated that there were about 763,000 hectares of land under crop production during 2000/2001 farming season. This is about 46 percent of the 1,657,800 hectares of the region’s arable land.

The proportion of arable land under cultivation various from 22% in Mwanza district to 77% in Ukererwe district. Crop statistics shows that in the farming season 2000/2001 there were 562,000 ha under food crops and about 201,000 ha under cash crops

Experience has demonstrated that the only really suitable maize production area in Mwanza region is Geita and the northern portion of Sengerema districts. Rainfall in the rest of the region though marginally adequate in total is too variable (with the exception of Ukerewe district) to support maize growing. Optimun planting time of this crop is between October and the end of November. The most adapted food crop in these maize unsuitable areas is sorghum and millet (bulrush) where rainfall is unreliable. One would expect Magu, Kwimba, Misungwi and Mwanza districts to take the lead in cassava production but because of the existing land competition with other crops many farmers tend to neglect the crop and treat is a hedge crop (security food crop). Families in these later districts establish very small acreages of this crop for the purpose.

Production of paddy is dominated by small holders who produce the grain basically for sale. Only a small proportion of the crop is used as food. The local people (Sukuma) regard the habit of eating rice as foreign.

 

Crop Production:

Food crops
TThe most important food crops grown in Mwanza region are: Maize, paddy, sorghum/millet cassava, sweet potatoes, bananas, beans and cowpeas. Three crop growing seasons being reported in this study (1998/99-2000/2001) show that an average of 447,680 ha annually were under food crops in the region Data further show that maize, cassava and sweet potatoes were important in terms of hectares. In 2000/20001 maize, cassava and sweet potatoes accounted for 30%, 25% and 16% respectively of total hectares under food crops in the region .Geita and Sengerema districts took the lead in hectarage under maize, cassava, bananas and pulses (beans/peas). Kwimba, Magu and Misungwi account for most of sorghum/millet

Cash crops
Cotton stands out among other cash crops grown in Mwanza region. Over the period of three crop growing seasons (1998/99-2000/2001) Cotton accounted for 61 percent of Mwanza regional yearly average of total cash crops tonnage realized. Groundnuts, yellow gram (chickpeas) finger millet and coffee follow in importance in that order. It is clearly shown that about 62 percent of seed cotton harvested in that season came from Magu and Kwimba. Yellow gram (chickpeas) is principally grown in Kwimba and Missungwi both districts taken together accounted for 89 percent of the crop in 2000/2001 cotton growing season. Groundnuts and finger millet are largely grown in Geita, while coffee though in small quantity is dominated by Ukerewe district.

Food Adequancy:
The majority of the population in Mwanza region depend largely on grains as their staple food. To a large extent cassava and sweet potatoes are also staple foods. Bananas and rice are rarely regarded as main diets. Because of poverty among the majority of peasant farmers food crops are also sold as cash crops in different proportions. Such dual purpose crops are estimated to be available as food in the following proportions:-
Maize 70%
Paddy 30%
Sorghum/Millet 90%
Cassava 70%
Sweet Potatoes 80%
Bananas 10%
Beans/Cow peas 50%

Calculations for food adequacy are averaged at 0.12 tons of carbohydrates per unit of population per year. For pulses they are based at an average of 0.06 tons per person per year irrespective of age.

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