Browsing by Author "Hella, J. P."
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Item Agricultural production risks, coping mechanisms and potential for crop insurance in Tanzania(2013 Time Journals, 2013) Akyoo, A. M.; Temu, A. E.; Hella, J. P.Pessimism surrounding feasibility and viability of crop insurance schemes especially to developing country economies has since been a global phenomenon. However, pragmatic evidence is turning the clock around as more such schemes are now being launched. There have been very few studies on the subject in Tanzania which have not translated into a tangible full-fledged scheme to date. New evidence is unfolding now as shown in this study that its potential is substantive if the existing gaps in terms of information imperfection and asymmetry in respect to its marketability and viability, especially on insurers‟ side, are filled. Crop insurance potential was confirmed in the study involving 116 bean farmers in Arumeru district during the 2003/04 season. Both objective and subjective conditions for its need were fulfilled according to the study results. In the first case, about 76% of the farmers preferred crop insurance to other mitigation strategies against natural hazard risks. Pests and disease surfaced as the most debilitating risks to the farmers followed by drought. However, Pests and plant diseases are farm management problems which are not insurable. In the second case, profitability levels differ between individual farmers and locations across the three study villages from both rain- fed and irrigated areas. Both profit and loss making farmers were available from any of the villages. As a proxy for farmers‟ ability to meet insurance costs, profitability results suggested that not all bean farmers were capable of meeting the involved costs. Binary logistical regression analysis results, rather unexpectedly, indicated that the only significant factor influencing preference for crop insurance in the study area was asset index (a proxy for farmer‟ wealth). All 8 interviewed insurers (both public and private) were not ready to mount crop insurance schemes in the country claiming financial infeasibility of the scheme, lack of adequate market information and lack of requisite expertise. The study recommended the need to mount a crop insurance pilot program which would be initially funded by the Government, of specific peril and voluntary. This should go in tandem with introduction of insurance training in agricultural schools and colleges to increase its awareness to the target populace. Related studies hereafter have also confirmed crop insurance potential in tea and coffee and this paper has taken stock of the results.Item Assessment of operational aspects of the input supply chain under national agriculture input voucher scheme (NAIVS) in Tanzania(Academic Journals, 2014) Aloyce, G. M.; Gabagambi, D. M.; Hella, J. P.This study examines the operational aspects of the National Agriculture Input Voucher Scheme in Tanzania from 2009/2010 to 2010/2011 based on secondary and primary data. Primary data were collected from a random sample of 300 households in four regions namely: Rukwa, Mbeya, Morogoro and Shinyanga. Secondary data were collected from the Ministry of Agriculture Food Security and Cooperatives (MAFC), Agro dealers and Local Government Authorities. Results indicate that 88% of farmers reported delayed subsidized inputs significant at p = 0.05. The inputs become available during planting season when most of the household food stocks and income is exhausted and this makes top up price unaffordable. It was also observed that the top up price is more than stipulated cost sharing of 50% between farmers and the government. Other pitfalls reported in the system include input adulteration and violation of NAIVS guidelines for input distribution. It is recommended that inputs and crop calenders be established that would ensure inputs arrived to beneficiaries ahead of the planting season In addition, efficient monitoring and evaluation system should be put in place to minimize inefficiency emanating from violation of NAIVS guidelines.Item Climate change, smallholders farmers’ adaptation in Pangani Basin and Pemba implications for redd+ initiatives(Climate Change Iimpacts and Adaptation and Mitigation Project (CCIAM) - Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), 2016) Hella, J. P.; Sanga, G. J.; Haug, R.; Mziray, N.; Senga, H.; Haji, M.; Lyimo, S.; Moshi, A.; Mboya, S.; Bakar, M.This chapter is based on a study conducted in Pangani river basin and on Pemba Island in Tanzania. The main objective of the study was to assess evidence of the climate, small farmers’ adaptive strategies and associated implications for REDD+ initiatives in the country. Historical climate data over more than 30 years were collected from nine stations in Pangani river basin and on Pemba. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 11 villages purposively selected based on the location (upper and lower basin and altitude). A questionnaire survey and Focus Group discussions were used to collect data from 387 respondents and 40 key informants, respectively. The respondents for the survey were randomly selected from 11 study villages. The results show evidence of rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, an increase in extreme weather conditions such as droughts, floods and hurricanes and the shifting distribution of pests and diseases. Expert opinions also confirmed major changes in climate parameters in recent years. About 89 percent and 95 percent of small-scale farmers perceive that there is a change in temperature and rainfall, respectively, and linked the changes to crop types, cropping patterns, and outbreak of human, animal and crop diseases in their respective areas. Results from Multinomial Logit Model indicate that farmers’ choices of climate change coping strategy depend on their access to extension services and credit, their education level, location as well as experience. Adaptive strategies range from change of crop types, farmers and livestock keepers moving to new areas near water sources and forests and increased farm activities. Unfortunately most of the smallholders’ adaptive strategies are compromising REDD+ initiatives. The study concludes that successful REDD+ initiatives within the framework of smallholders adaptive strategies to impacts of the climate changes requires externally sourced support for sustainable adaptation to climate changes.Item Liberalized Maize Marketing for Smallholder Farmers in Tanzania: Evidences from Ludewa and Sumbawanga Districts(2010) Hella, J. P.; Poulton, C.; Kashuliza, A. K.Since 1986, Tanzania undertook economic reforms to establish free market economy in order to stimulate economic growth. With respect to maize, policy measures were implemented through; removal of price subsidies on maize and production inputs, liberalization of the cooperative marketing system at the farmer level by removing restrictions and restructuring of the crop marketing system involving redefinition of the roles of regional cooperative unions, and the main food marketing parastatal (NMC). This paper presents findings from a study carried out in Ludewa and Sumbawanga rural districts. The study aimed at investigating the dynamics of maize marketing in the two purposely selected districts and villages. Using structured questionnaire data was collected from 115 maize farmers in the selected villages. Study results show that removal of state monopolies and the emergence of private sector in input (fertiliser) distributors, fertiliser procurement and distribution has had made majority of small-farmers in marginal areas less competitive and victimised by monopsony and oligopsony power of traders. Few farmers who can afford transporting maize to distant market records substantial benefit than otherwise. Farmers in marginal areas can benefit from liberal market if necessary infrastructures such as good road are in place. Among other things the study suggest that while the need for improving access to marginal areas still unattainable in a near future, necessary effort by the government to create a favorable environment that will enable increased number of private traders to reduce the chances of collusion which has negative impact to maize farmers is required.Item National agricultural input voucher scheme impact on productivity and food security of smallholder farmers in Tanzania(Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development, 2014) Aloyce, G. M.; Gabagambi, D. M.; Hella, J. P.Tanzania Government introduced National Agriculture Input Voucher Scheme (NAIVS) in 2008/2009 to overcome the limitations of the previous subsidy programs. This would increase productivity and food security contributing to poverty reduction. This paper examines the voucher access impact on productivity and food security. Cross section data were collected from a random sample of 300 farmers in a survey using a semi structured questionnaire. Two stages least square (2SLS) regression was used to estimate the impact of voucher access on agricultural productivity and binary logistic model for food insecurity. Empirical results shows that farmers with access to input subsidy vouchers had higher agricultural productivity significant at P=0.00. Social economic variables such as age, education, land size, borrowing possibility and access to extension revealed positive contribution to aggregate agricultural productivity. Considering food security, farmers with access to voucher were less food insecure significant at P=0.00. Also access to village was found to decreases food insecurity significanly. Contrarily, unpredictable weather increased food insecurity significant at P=0.01. These findings implies positive contribution of voucher program in poverty reduction. However, sustainable agricultural productivity and food security requires improved social services, better crop management and mitigation of unpredictable weather.Item Participatory market-led cowpea breeding in Sub- Saharan Africa: Evidence pathway from Malawi and Tanzania(2013-09) Hella, J. P.; Chilongo, T; Mbwag, A. M; Bokosi, J; Kabambe, V; Riches, C; Massawe, C. L.This paper present presents a pathway followed by the Alectra research project group in Tanzania and Malawi breeding cowpea for Alectra resistance and for the market. The main objective of the project was to develop cowpea varieties which are resistant to parasitic weed Alectra vogelii and promote the same to small farmers in Malawi and Tanzania. The paper is based on- on station and on-farm trial data collected at Ilonga, Ilonga Bihawana, and Ismani research stations in Tanzania and at Bunda College in Malawi. On-farm data were ere collected from 2 Extension P Planning Areas reas in central Malawi and 6 villages in Singida, Dodoma and Iringa regions. . Lilongwe and Kasungu in Malawi and Dodoma, Iringa and Singida were the main areas where we collected consumers' preference data. The pathway shows show that starting from 180 breeder lines, only 13 lines including B301, , IT99K-7-21-2-2-1 IT99K IT99K-494-6 and IT99K IT99K-753-1 and turned out to o be very promising lines against A. vogelii infestation infestation. However after subjecting the same lines to various consumer consumer/market preference indicators such as seed color and size, many lines were drop dropped hence could not be officially released. This study conclude that market based research has resulted in releasing highly demanded varieties that will stimulate production and increase income of small producers in the two countries countries.Item The role of informal and semi-formal finance in poverty alleviation in Tanzania: Results of a field study in two regions(REPOA, 1998) Kashuliza, A. K.; Hella, J. P.; Magayane, F. T.; Mvena, Z. S. K.Liberalization policies implemented in Tanzania after the mid 1980s have created some impetus to the growth of informal and semi-formal finance and credit operations in the country. This study set out to investigate the modus operandi and performance of some selected informal and semi-formal credit arrangements in two regions of the country (Mbeya and Iringa). Data for the study were collected between January to March, 1996 from a total of two hundred farmers (the majority of whom used informal and semi-formal credit), ten informal lenders, ten input stockists and fourteen semi-formal lenders (including NGOs). Survey information collected by the study indicates that the main sources of informal credit for smallholders are: relatives, neighbours and friends, shop owners and businessmen, and medium and large scale farmers. Such credit is used for both consumption and production activities. Overall, informal lending is still far from being a specialized activity, rather it is a side activity integrated into the enterprise undertakings of various farmers, businessmen and shop owners. A variety of semi-formal lenders are operating in the rural areas mainly providing production credit (often accompanied with some training, supervision, and interest on loans which are generally lower than commercial rates). Some of the semi-lenders target specific groups such as women, youth, farmers of certain crops etc. Most of the semiformal credit channels studied have poor records of loan collection partly because such programmes were being set up without elaborate procedures for education and collection of loans from farmers. Both informal and semi-formal credit access are linked with the attempt to alleviate poverty in several ways including: ability to cultivate larger farms, getting higher crop yields, and better food security status than before (or in comparison to farmers without credit access). Thus more efforts should be made by Government and relevant institutions to promote the development and growth of informal as well as semi-formal credit channels for them to be more effective tools in the efforts to alleviate poverty.