ABSTRACT Cotton is a vital cash crop in Tanzania and is mostly produced in the Western Cotton Growing Area (WCGA). About 99 percent of the total cotton is produced from this area which comprises Mwanza, Shinyanga, Simiyu, Mara, Geita, Kagera, Tabora, Singida and Kigoma regions. The remaining percentage is produced in the Eastern Cotton Growing Area (ECGA) which comprises the regions of Morogoro, Coast, Tanga and Kilimanjaro. Due to low cotton yield, agricultural intensification was important ...
ABSTRACT This study analysed the tomato value chain in Rugombo district in order to develop new insights on the nature of activities along the chain and shade light on possible strategies that may increase primary actor’s (smallholder farmer’s) income. Primary data for this study were collected from various primary, support and institutional actors of the value chain using structured questionnaire and checklist. Descriptive statistics, gross margin and multiple linear regression models we...
ABSTRACT Local chicken farmers can improve the performance and quality of indigenous chicken meat by modifying the production systems and age at slaughter. However, in Tanzania there is paucity of information on effect of production systems and age at slaughter of local chicken on growth performance, carcass characteristics and meat quality. The effects of rearing systems, sex and age at slaughter on growth performance, carcass traits, meat tenderness, cooking loss and pH of Tanzanian local c...
ABSTRACT Rice farmers have a tendency to sell their rice right after harvesting, thus they have been facing low rice prices which lead to low income, consumption of other food items and welfare. This study assessed the seasonal rice price variation, its magnitude and identified the opportunities in time and space for rice farmers and traders in Tanzania. The five leading rice producing regions; Mbeya, Morogoro, Mwanza, Tabora and Shinyanga were selected to represent rice markets in Tanza...
ABSTRACT Seed health testing to detect seed-borne pathogens is an important step in the management of crop diseases. Laboratory and screen house experiments were carried out at Selian Agriculture Research Institute Arusha, to investigate the extent of seed-borne fungal pathogen problems from farmers saved seeds in Northern wheat growing Zone. A total of 45 untreated seed samples of wheat were collected from farmers saved seeds in Karatu, Hanang and Siha Districts. Each sample was physically i...
ABSTRACT Declining soil fertility continues to be one of the most important challenges in Malawi’s crop production systems, with nitrogen considered as the most limiting nutrient element. However, food legume crops such as pigeon pea (PP) and cowpea (CP) are popular amongst smallholder farmers as they contribute to food security and protein nutrition, source of income to farmers and contribute to soil fertility improvement through biological nitrogen fixation (BNF). They are grown in variou...
ABSTRACT Mama Lishe makes one of the largest sources of employment for women in the informal sector. Like other women, they contribute significantly to the capacity of the male members of their households to function effectively in the labour force. Women undertake Mama Lishe activities so as to supplement household income to meet family needs, the income generated from women income generated activities in most cases is small, but it plays a significant role in buying clothes for babies ...
ABSTRACT Ruvuma Region has been receiving subsidy fertilizer since the reintroduction of the NAIVS programme by the government of Tanzania in 2003/04 crop season. The current study examines the performance of small holder farmer’s maize production in terms of Total Factor Productivity (TFP) and its determinants in Tanzania especially in Ruvuma Region, since it is one of the major maize’s producing regions in Tanzania. More specifically the study was undertaken to estimate the TFP of maize...
ABSTRACT Many studies have been done on HIV/AIDS in Tanzania yet few empirical studies have been conducted to examine the effect of HIV/AIDS in urban areas including Dar-es- Salaam. This study therefore aimed at estimating the extent to which HIV/AIDS affects household livelihoods as well as identifying common coping mechanism of affected and unaffected households with regard to food security, asset ownership/possession and social network. Therefore, this study was conducted with the spe...
ABSTRACT Study was conducted to assess the level of degradation in the forested areas in Tanzania particularly on eastern zone regions (Tanga, Pwani, Morogoro and Dar es salaam). Three vegetation types were taken into consideration where both volume and biomass removed was determined. The NAFORMA data was used where a total of 1413 plots with stumps were used. The study revealed that montane forest lost 48.47+8.2 m3/ha, lowland forest 22.27+2.25 m3/ha and woodland forest 13.77+1.39 m3/ha. The...
ABSTRACT Studies on spatial and temporal distribution of white coffee stem borer (WCSB), antestia bug and coffee berry borer (CBB) were carried out between September 2007 and August 2008 in medium altitude (Lyamungo) and high altitude (Kilema) areas in Kilimanjaro region. Specifically, the study aimed at establishing the species composition and spatial distribution, the temporal variation in abundance, and the relative importance of three pests in coffee ecosystems. A multistage random ...
ABSTRACT The concern for HIV/AIDS cannot be isolated from its devastating effects on socio-economic development of any nation. Tanzania is one of the countries with HIV prevalence rate of over 4% whence, like many other countries in Africa, Tanzania adapted the Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission (PMTCT) in 2003 to curb new HIV infections. Despite this assorted intervention, infant and child mortality rates by AIDS have remained a puzzle. This study therefore, aimed at conducting an as...
ABSTRACT Nzega is among the district located in semi-arid areas of Tanzania where drought is a limiting factor for agriculture. In the district farmers are advised to use early maturing maize varieties (EMMV). In contrary the adoption of EMMV in Nzega District is still low. Increase in use of EMMV is possible if factors which influence adoption are addressed. The present study aimed at identifying factors which influence adoption of EMMV. The main objective was to analyze challenges facing ef...
ABSTRACT Rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV) endemic to Africa is spread within and between rice fields by several species of Chrysomelid beetles and grasshoppers. In Tanzania and particularly in Kilombero District, the virus is increasingly becoming a serious problem to rice production. The relationships between the insect vectors and RYMV disease incidence and severity were not fully known hence the need for this study. The assessment of both disease incidence and severity of RYMV and populati...
ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to establish quality attributes of local chicken meat supplied in Dodoma roast meat outlets. A questionnaire and on site observations were used to collect data from randomly selected respondents that included live chicken suppliers, retail sellers, middlemen and managers of selected chicken roast meat outlets. Data collected include chicken live body weight, estimated age, ecotype, sex and source of origin. Random samples of fresh local chicken breast...