Department of Policy Planning and Management

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A review of post-harvest milk losses in Tanzania’s milk sector: lessons from production to consumption
(Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2023) Lugamara, C.B.; Urassa, J. K.; Massawe, G. D.
Tanzania has engaged in various policies, strategies and programmes in order to increase production, processing and marketing infrastructure for milk and milk products and minimise animal product losses. However, not much is known in relation to post-harvest milk losses. Therefore, the review paper aims to establish from empirical literature the extent of Tanzania’s post-harvest milk losses and the causes in relation to efforts made by the government to minimise the same. To achieve the above, the authors used various databases to locate documents reporting on Tanzania’s post-harvest milk losses whereby 1605 documents were identified and screened remaining with 82 that were deemed relevant. Thereafter, an assessment of the 82 documents led to only 12 being included in the critical review, with ten being dropped due to either being similar or using the same data. Therefore, in the end, only two documents are captured in this paper. Generally, the review shows that there is insufficient empirical information on Tanzania’s post-harvest milk losses with the most recent study having been conducted almost 19 years ago. In addition, the study’s scope was quite limited, covering a sample of 66 respondents and a narrow geographical coverage of only three regions (i.e. Coast, Dar es Salaam and Morogoro). Furthermore, the study used the rapid appraisal approach. Therefore, there is a need for disaggregated information on Tanzania’s extent of post-harvest milk losses at various nodes of the milk value chain so as to inform policy makers and other stakeholders interested in curbing the same. Keywords: Milk losses, milk supply chain, post-harvest losses.
Access to bank loans and smallholder farmers' paddy productivity; a case of Mvomero district, Tanzania
(IJASAB International, 2022) Mpeku, Faraja N.; Urassa, Justin K.
Limited access to credit is one of the main limitations facing smallholders in Africa. Therefore, the study on which this paper is based, aimed at comparing smallholder farmers paddy productivity before and after their access to loans from formal financial institutions. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design whereby data were collected once from 110 smallholder paddy farmers in Mvomero District using a questionnaire. In addition, key informant interviews and focus group discussions were conducted to enable triangulation. Quantitative data from the questionnaire were analyzed using SPSS whereby both descriptive and inferential statistics were determined. Study findings show that the paddy crop continues to play an essential role in the majority of households in the study area. Paddy productivity, on the other hand, was relatively low. The results from the linear regression show that loan size, age of household, farm size, the use of fertilizer and farming experience were significantly associated with paddy productivity. They further show that the major challenges faced by smallholder farmers in their access to bank loans were high-interest rates, loan inadequacy, and high collateral demand. The results of the paired sample t-test show that there is a difference in productivity before and after farmers accessed bank loans. Despite the importance of paddy farming to household livelihoods, it was reported that access to credit has a positive impact on the productivity of paddy farmers.
Access to reproductive health services and factors contributing to teenage pregnancy in Mtwara Region, Tanzania
(2017) Dunor, H.; Urassa, J. K.
Generally, adolescents/teenagers sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs are largely unmet in developing countries despite this group’s size. This paper examines teenage girls’ accessibility to reproductive health services and factors contributing to teenage pregnancy. The study on which the paper is based adopted a crosssectional explanatory design and was conducted in Mtwara Region, Tanzania covering four secondary schools. Teenage girls in the four secondary schools were randomly selected to participate in the study. Data was collected using questionnaires, focus groups discussions and key informant interviews. A total of 156 people participated in the study. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPPS while qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. Generally, results show that teenage pregnancy is a major problem in Mtwara and the attributing factors include poverty, culture, desire for money, peer pressure, lack of education on reproductive health issues and poor parental support. Results also show that teenagers in Mtwara lack access to youth friendly reproductive health services. Additionally, the findings show a disparity in terms of access to reproductive health services (RHS) between rural and urban teenage girls: those in the urban area had relatively more access compared with their rural counterparts. It is therefore concluded that access to reproductive health services for teenage girls is a serious challenge in Mtwara region. It is hereby recommended it is recommended that households be empowered to earn sufficient income to provide for their families, particular emphasis should be put on non-farm income generating activities. It is also recommended that youth friendly SRH services be established in the study areas; doing so will improve youth’s access to the same
Access to reproductive health services and factors contributing to teenage pregnancy in Mtwara Region, Tanzania
(2017) Dunor, H.; Urassa, J. K.
Generally, adolescents/teenagers sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs are largely unmet in developing countries despite this group’s size. This paper examines teenage girls’ accessibility to reproductive health services and factors contributing to teenage pregnancy. The study on which the paper is based adopted a crosssectional explanatory design and was conducted in Mtwara Region, Tanzania covering four secondary schools. Teenage girls in the four secondary schools were randomly selected to participate in the study. Data was collected using questionnaires, focus groups discussions and key informant interviews. A total of 156 people participated in the study. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPPS while qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. Generally, results show that teenage pregnancy is a major problem in Mtwara and the attributing factors include poverty, culture, desire for money, peer pressure, lack of education on reproductive health issues and poor parental support. Results also show that teenagers in Mtwara lack access to youth friendly reproductive health services. Additionally, the findings show a disparity in terms of access to reproductive health services (RHS) between rural and urban teenage girls: those in the urban area had relatively more access compared with their rural counterparts. It is therefore concluded that access to reproductive health services for teenage girls is a serious challenge in Mtwara region. It is hereby recommended it is recommended that households be empowered to earn sufficient income to provide for their families, particular emphasis should be put on non-farm income generating activities. It is also recommended that youth friendly SRH services be established in the study areas; doing so will improve youth’s access to the same.
Adaptation to changes in the coffee value chain And the price of coffee among coffee producers in Two villages in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania
(African Study Monographs, 2013) Mhando, David Gongwe; Haller, Tobias; Mbeyale, Gimbage; Ludi, Eva
Market liberalization in Tanzania has eroded the monopoly of the cooperative unions by allowing private coffee buyers (PCBs) to compete with them on equal footing. Similarly, farmers groups and primary societies are now allowed to sell coffee at auction. Thus, farmers have various options for selling their coffee. Similarly, the coffee industry has experienced large fluctuations in prices and stagnation in production. How do farmers react to these changes? Can and do farmers profit from different market conditions and sell to different traders at the lower end of the value chain, or do they remain with cooperatives or farmers groups? This study was conducted in Mruwia and Mshiri villages in Moshi Rural district. Whereas Mshiri village remains attached to the Kilimanjaro Native Cooperative Union (KNCU), Mruwia has detached from this organization and sells coffee independently. The sample (103) was randomly selected from the coffee farmers in the two villages. Data were collected through surveys, focus group discussions (FGDs), and socio-anthropological methods (participant-observation, biographies, and thematic interviews). Results indicate that the selection of whom to sell coffee depends largely on farmers’ dependence on coffee and prices, other benefits accrued, and whether the initial costs are covered by buyers. Additionally, most respondents did not sell coffee to PCBs. Thus, prices, the institutional infrastructure, and the structure of local communities were important when making decisions about how and with whom to trade.
Adoption of recommended maize production practices and productivity among farmers in Morogoro district, Tanzania
(Springer, 2019) Gahanga, Consolatha J.; Urassa, Justin K.
The chapter is based on a study that aimed at assessing the adoption of recommended maize production practices and productivity between farmers who were members of Farmer Field Schools (FFSs) and those who were not. The study was conducted in Morogoro District, Tanzania. Specifically, the study aimed at identifying FFS recommended maize production technologies; determining socio-economic factors influencing farmers’ adoption of the technologies; and comparing maize productivity and income between households involved in FFS and those that are not. Lastly, it determined the contribution of maize sales to the household incomes of the two groups. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design whereby data was collected from 166 individuals through household surveys, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. Quantitative data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), whereby descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages were determined. A logistic regression model was used to determine the association of socio-economic factors and the adoption of FFS technologies. Study findings show that age, education, household income and farm size significantly influenced the adoption of recommended FFS practices. Results also show that farmers who participated in the FFS had a higher maize productivity and maize sales were the main source of income in the study area. Thus, extension agents need to do more to encourage more farmers to join FFS so as to get access to improved maize technologies which will enable them to raise their maize productivity and ultimately their income and general living standards.
Agricultural value chain incubation programmes and youth employment: a case of the Sokoine university graduates entrepreneurs cooperative, Morogoro, Tanzania
(TAJAS, 2021) Donge, H; Urassa, J.K
Youth unemployment is on the rise globally Tanzania inclusive. Nonetheless, for Tanzania, the agricultural sector has a potential for employment creation at the various nodes of the agricultural value chain. Therefore, the study generally examines the contribution of the Sokoine University Graduates Entrepreneurs Cooperative (SUGECO) in enabling its graduate’s self-employ while creating employment for others. Specifically, the study examines the contribution of the above- mentioned programme to youth’s employment; identifies challenges facing the programme, and examines the policy gaps. The study is based on the cross-sectional research design whereby data were collected using a structured questionnaire from 88 respondents. In addition, data were collected from five key informants. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPPS and qualitative data through content analysis. Generally, study findings show that SUGECO has the potential to support young entrepreneurs’ development and job creation in Tanzania. Findings also show that SUGECO offers a variety of trainings which equip its graduates with business management and employment skills. In addition, marital status and being trained in agribusiness were significantly (P≤0.05) associated with the graduates’ employment creation. However, the findings show that SUGECO and its graduates face a number of challenges including lack of funding, lack of commitment among the graduates, and unsupportive government policies. Therefore, SUGECO needs to adhere to its pre-defined criteria when selecting candidates for incubation programme so as to only recruit the committed ones. In addition, the Government and non-governmental organizations should collaborate and put some efforts to promote the SUGECO agribusiness incubation programme as it has the potential for employment creation and poverty reduction among the youth.
Assessing the implementation process of Treasury Single Account Operations and Payment Systems in Tanzania
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2020) Sarwatt, U.M
Anchored on stakeholder, management and modern money theories, study on which this dissertation is based assessed the implementation of Treasury Single Account (TSA) in Tanzania. The TSA infrastructure is usually implemented as part of the Financial Management Information System (FMIS) solutions. Therefore, this study assessed the implementation process of Treasury Single Account Operations and Payment Systems in Tanzania. Specifically, the study intended to; assess the legal and regulatory frameworks of the TSA operations; investigate the TSA processes and interbank systems; and examine the oversight mechanism of the TSA. Furthermore, the study employed a quantitative approach, whereby data were collected through a toolkit questionnaire with 44 questions from 60 sample size of respondents. Analysis was done descriptively, in which only frequencies and percentages were considered. In addition, graphs and tables were used to illustrate findings. The findings show the 68.2% of the overall performance in legal regulatory framework; this indicates the average performance as rating in this research. In the process and interbank systems, results show 75% of the overall performance based on the rating implies the effectiveness in this category is good. Lastly, the oversight mechanisms in results indicates 72% of the overall performance, this is categorized as good. Inferential analysis shows that all three predictors i.e. legal regulatory framework, process and interbank systems, and oversight mechanisms were statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) to effective implementation of TSA. However, recommendations need the government to learn from other countries which have experienced the implementation of TSA operations for many years of time, the reason is to improve the overall performance of the implementation up to the highest rating score points.
Assessment of community participation in management of water resources in Moshi rural district, Kilimanjaro Tanzania
(Sokoine University of Agricurture, 2022) Lyatuu, John M.
Community’s participation in the water resources management is of paramount importance as it contributes to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of water projects and also improving the family’s economy since family members will focus on production more than wasting time on fetching water. However, there is lack of enough information on local community’s participation in management of water resources (MWR) in poor resource countries such as Tanzania. The study on which this dissertation is based assessed local community’s participation in management of domestic water in East Old Moshi and Kimochi Wards in Moshi Rural District in Tanzania. The wards were purposively selected due to a number of water sources from slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, but still community members suffer from water shortage. Specifically, the study sought to: (i) determine the extent of participation of local communities in water resources management, (ii) assess water conservation measures applied by the local communities and (iii) assess institutional and socio-economic factors affecting community members’ choice of types of water conservation technologies. Structured interviews were applied as the main method of data collection whereby 150 respondents who were randomly selected from the two wards were interviewed. Collected data were analysed using quantitative and qualitative approaches. Chi-Square test was used to assess the association between respondents’ characteristics and participation in project activities (manual works and project meetings). In inferential analysis, Ordinal Logistic Regression and binary logistic regression was used to assess the factors associated with respondents’ participation in Water Resources Management (WRM) in general and factors influencing the households’ choice of Water Conservation Measures (WCMs) respectively. The ordinal logistic regression analysis results revealed a significant association between overall participation in WRM and respondents’ years of schooling and the days respondents had received water. Binary logistic regression revealed that choice of WCMs was significantly associated with the respondents’ age, marital status and distance to the household’s alternative sources of water. Based on the study findings, it is concluded that education is a major solution to many problems facing community members. Also WCMs applied in the study area depend on status of water availability of the particular place and season. From the findings and conclusions, the study recommends that, in order to improve application of WCMs to local communities, education should be provided especially to elders, people who reside in the upper parts of the community.
Assessment of functionality in monitoring and evaluation systems of selected agricultural non-governmental organizations in Morogoro Municipality, Tanzania
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2024-05) Evelyne, Manyama
Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems have evolved over time as important tools that can enhance the management of programmes and thus facilitate measurement of progress on project implementation. This has raised interest among researchers who have noted the importance to assess M&E system so as enhance the efficiency of the systems. The study aims to assess functionality of the selected agricultural NGOs’ M&E systems to determine the functionality of key M&E components and the challenges of the M&E system in its current status. The study adopted case study research design and data were collected through desk reviews and interviews with M&E technical officers guided by a checklist of items. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics whereas qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. Generally, the enabling environment and data and information management well functioned respectively at 88.9% and 91.1%. Specifically, the functionality differed and ranged from 76.7% to 100% from one NGO to another. However, the Kruskal Wallis H Test showed no significant difference at a 5% level of significance among the NGOs. Therefore, the selected agricultural M&E system NGOs well functioned but needed improvement to strengthen some indicators. The study concludes that the M&E system of agricultural NGOs was functioning well with minimal improvements. Challenges were revealed in human capacity, communication and advocacy plan, databases and data dissemination. The assessment of agricultural NGOs revealed that there are improvements needed for the M&E system to be sustainable. These include a more systematic and long-term approach to develop M&E systems, staff training in M&E principles and practices, stronger supervision, feedback loops, and technical assistance and an information system that links program-specific sub-systems
Assessment of local government's social accountability for poverty reduction in Tanzania
(2016-12-10) Marcossy, A. M.; Urassa, J. K.
Social Accountability is an aspect of governance that links and interlinks other aspects of development and governance, In Tanzania, various forms of social accountability monitoring in have been implemented by CSOs, these include; the holistic st)~al accountability monitoring (SAM) and Public Expenditure Tracking Surveys, PETS, Others are Community Score Cards, Budget Analysis, Citizen Jury, Local needs analysis and Social Auditing. These initiatives fulfill a number of functions, as they enable individuals and user groups at community level to provide feedback and exercise their voice vis-a-vis central, local government and service providers. The main objective of this study has to establish the relationship between social accountability and poverty alleviation in a few selected Tanzanian local councils. Specifically, the study aimed at; describing the forms of social accountability in the selected local government authorities (LGAs), to determine the status of social accountability among the selected LGAs, to empirically link social accountability with identified poverty indicator and to examine the public's perception on social accountability and improvement of people's livelihoods. The study employed a cross-sectional research design whereby data were collected at one point and time. A total of320 respondents were randomly selected from the selected wards and villages using a multi-stage sampling technique from Mwanza City Council (MCC), Kinondoni Municipal Council (KMC), Kibaha Town Council (KTC) and Handeni District Council (HDC). In addition, forty and ten other individuals were involved in focus group discussion (FGDs) and key informant interviews respectively. The study used both primary and secondary data; the former was collected through the use of interview schedules and checklists. Specifically, the study employed Social accountability monitoring tools which included; the Social Accountability Cycle and the Question-Information-Analysis (QIA) tools. Data collected using the QIA were analyzed by the help of participant stakeholders; the CSOs, Businesses, LGA officials, a handful of policymakers and other participants. Generally, the study shows that SAM positively empowers local people not only to engage their governments but, does also influence decisions and the confidence of public officials in service provision. However, there are setbacks in enhancing social accountability in local governments in Tanzania. One such challenge is access to Government information which is inconsistent and preferential. This can further be deduced as showing a strong potential for linking poverty reduction initiatives with social accountability in local government.
Assessment of rice diseases and yield under system of rice intensification (SRI) in Morogoro, Tanzania
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2015) Mwakasege, Leah D.
The overall objective of the study was to assess the status of rice diseases under system of rice intensification (SRI) and farmer’s production system in Morogoro. A checklist survey in nine farmer fields was done and later experiments at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Crop Museum for two seasons. The experiment was laid down in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications. The treatments were three different types of spacing 25 cm x 25 cm for SRI, 20 cm x 20 cm for farmers practice one (FP1), random spacing for farmers practice two (FP2). Rice leaf samples were tested for presence of rice diseases pathogens using blotter method. Five rice diseases were observed in the survey. Rice brown spot diseases (RBSD) occurred most frequently in all locations while rice yellow mottle virus disease (RYMVD) was observed in seven locations. Rice sheath blight diseases (RSBD) and rice blast diseases (RBD) were recorded from four locations while rice bacterial leaf blight (RBLBD) in one location. On the other hand three diseases (RYMVD, RSBD and RBSD) were observed in on- station experiments, in all treatments for both seasons. The diseases incidence and severity were significantly different (P<0.001) between rice growing stages. System of rice intensification (SRI) plots appear to have high RYMVD incidence and severity than in FP1 and FP2 while the incidence and severity of RSBD and RBSD were higher in FP2 followed by FP1. The total yield were significantly higher for SRI than FP1 and FP2 (P<0.01). Diseases, water for irrigation and poor rice diseases knowledge were the main factors influencing yields in rice production. Adoption of SRI, farmer’s knowledge on SRI and field management, research on identification and characterization of disease pathogens and development of rice varieties which are resistant to diseases with preferable characteristics required by farmers and consumers is recommended.
Assessment of the implementation of primary education development plan (2002-06) in Mbarali district council, Mbeya region, Tanzania
(Sokoine Universitry of Agriculture, 2010) Chikoyo, Rashid Abdallah
This study assesses the Primary Education Development Plan (2002-06) implementation in Tanzania. The specific objectives are to determine the changes in pupil enrollment and number of teachers, the state of teachers’ qualifications, the quantity and quality of Government support to primary schools before and after the five years of PEDP implementation. The study used both the quantitative and qualitative research approaches. The methods employed to collect data were questionnaires, key informant interviews, field observation, focus group discussions and documentary analysis. Findings revealed that, there are some improvements on access, quality, transparency and management of primary education. The Gross Enrolment Ratio has increased from 77.6% in 1990 to 114.4% in 2007. The Net Enrolment Ratio reached 97.3% compared to 58.8% in 1990 (Okkolin, 2006; URT, 2007a). The pupil - book ratio has increased from one book to fifteen pupils in 2002 to one book to eight pupils in 2006 up to 1:5 pupils in 2009. The teacher to pupil ratio has improved from one teacher to ninety pupils in 2002 up to one teacher to sixty three in 2006. The school buildings have also relatively increased in number. The pass rates also showed some improvement from 10% in 2002 to 24% in 2006. The study revealed some challenges including, unfinished infrastructure and pupils over crowded in the classroom, limited financial and human resources, about 5% of the teachers are under qualified, the school management lacked both relevant knowledge and experince and, extreme poverty was found to be the stumbling block to the PEDP initiatives. The study recommended further study to find out the PEDP successes and challenges in the region and Southern Highlands zone at large.
Assessment of the sustainability of agricultural technologies: a case of “bustani ya tushikamane” (ByT) Programme in Morogoro Region
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2024-05) Mhando, Anna Leonard
The sustainability of agriculture technologies is a topic of growing importance in today's world, as the global population continues to expand, and the demand for food and resources escalates. The study aims to undertake a systematic assessment of the sustainability of agriculture technologies, with a focus on factors affecting sustainability and compliance of the technologies with the Agro ecological principles using the Agroecological Criteria Tool(ACT). The study employed cross-sectional research design with a sample size of 90 participants. Quantitative data was gathered through questionnaire, while qualitative data was collected through interview, focused group discussion (FGD) and observations. The analysis of the data involved both descriptive and inferential statistics, as well as thematic analysis of qualitative information. Factors like market availability (p = 0.000), training (p = 0.021), and cost of the agricultural technologies (p = 0.000) significantly predicted the likelihood of sustainability of agricultural technologies at 5% level of significance. Technologies introduced under the ByT programme were highly sustainable (60%), followed by medium sustainability (27.8%). The findings indicate that the agricultural techniques implemented by ByT have adhered to agroecological principles at every level, including efficiency (86%). This encompasses methods aimed at decreasing the use of resources such as water, pesticides, and fertilizers, while simultaneously enhancing crop yield. It is concluded that training, market availability, and cost of introduced agriculture technologies are crucial factors influencing sustainability of agricultural technologies. Also, the agriculture technologies introduced by ByT program are highly sustainable. This study offers a holistic perspective on the challenges and opportunities associated with sustainable agriculture technologies. The study concludes with recommendations that introduced agriculture technologies by stakeholders should consider the cost of introduced technologies, market availability of agriculture product and training of the technologies so as to ensure sustainability of those technologies. Also, need of future research and policy interventions to foster the sustainable adoption of agriculture technologies and advance the overall sustainability of the agricultural sector.
Attitude of voters towards elections in Morogoro municipality: a reflection on 2015 general election in Tanzania
(Science Publishing Group, 2017-12-22) Muhanga, M
This paper examines the attitudes of voters towards elections in Tanzania following an observed trend of having a great proportion of registered voters who did not vote in the General Elections in 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010 and 2015 respectively. The study out of which this paper is based on aimed at assessing the voters’ attitudes towards election and their perception on the importance of participating in election in Morogoro municipality, an electoral constituent which recorded voters turn out of 34.6% below the national turnout of 42.8% in 2010 General Election. A cross- sectional study design and multistage sampling techniques were employed; data were collected using a questionnaire through Computer Aided Personal Interviewing [CAPI] platform from proportionate number of male and female respondents from four randomly selected wards from Morogoro urban in Morogoro region. A total of 14 Likert scale statements were used to assess the attitudes of voters towards elections. Cross tabulation was employed to associate attitudes with other variables. Statistical Package for Social Sciences [SPSS] computer software was used for data processing and analysis. The findings reveal that the minimum and maximum Total Attitudinal Scores were 39.0 and 56.0 respectively with mean at 44.2 and Std. Deviation of 4.01. The study findings show that the overall respondents’ attitude towards elections was negative, with 60% of the respondents scoring less than 44.2 points out of 70, whereas 40% had positive attitude whereby they scored 44.2 points and above. The results show that 73% of the respondents perceived participating in election was important. It is recommended that initiatives should be taken to cultivate positive attitudes of citizens to motivate them to turn out to vote.
Attitudes towards affirmative action policies’ implementation in local politics in Tanzania: a case of Misungwi district, Mwanza region
(2009) Kabote, Samwel Juma
For about two decades, Affirmative Action (AA) policies, particularly Quotas and/or Special Seats have been substantial measures for increasing women’s political representation and participation in developing countries and Tanzania in particular. However, attitudes related obstructions influences AAs’ implementation in the country. With this rationale, this study was conducted in Misungwi District to assess factors influenced attitudes towards AAs’implementation. A key question in this study was: Do sex, awareness/knowledge on Affirmative Actions (AAs) and duration in local leadership positions influences respondent’s views towards AA’s implementation? Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews and documentary reviews. The analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 13. Findings revealed that, more women had positive attitudes towards AA’s implementation as opposed to men. Knowledge on reasons for Affirmative Action’s introduction was also positive. In addition, respondent’s attitudes were positive for respondents stayed six years and above in local leadership positions. Though it was a case study findings depicted a real picture of most District Councils in Tanzania. The study concluded that negative views towards AAs’ implementation exacerbated women’s under-representation as well as poor participation in local politics. Finally, we recommend that the family, schools and political parties should be entry points to eliminate negative attitudes towards AAs’ implementation in Misungwi District and the nation at large. Public gender awareness campaigns, accompanied with empowerment programmes are also highly recommended in this regard.
Awareness of Peri-urban Farmers on the Concept of Climate Change: A Case of Temeke District, Dar es Salaam Region
(International Knowledge Sharing Platform, 2016) Lunyelele, S. P.; Bengesi, K. M. K.; Katani, J. Z.
This study assessed peri-urban farmers’ awareness on the concept of climate change in Temeke District, Dar es Salaam Region. A total of 240 questionnaires were administered to the heads of households in four wards of the study area. Descriptive statistics mainly frequency distribution, percentages and average were used to analyse socio-economic characteristics of the respondents. Perceived indicators and the effects of climate change were measured through a five point Likert Scale. Off the interviewed respondents 97.9% were generally aware of climate change. Farmers’ awareness is manifested through the locally perceived indicators: increase in drought which had a mean score ( ) of 4.4, decline in rainfall ( =3.83), recurrent floods ( =3.83) and rainfall fluctuations ( =3.1). Respondents linked climate change with human activities largely cutting and burning of trees. Farmers’ perceptions are not directly linked with scientific understanding of climate change. The study recommends for the Government intervention based on farmers’ specific needs. In the other vein, more researches on climate change awareness is recommended in order to enhance local community’s adaptive capacity.
Capabilities of business development service providers’ in service delivery to small and medium enterprises in Arusha city and Moshi municipality
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2022) Kweka, Anande Erasto
Despite the various interventions aimed at supporting Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Tanzania, the challenges facing their development have persisted. Business Development Services (BDS) providers have an instrumental role in MSMEs development. However, the question of capability of BDS providers and hence their effectiveness in delivering BDS to MSMEs is yet to be adequately addressed. The main objective of this study was to assess BDS providers’ capabilities in service delivery to MSMEs in Arusha City Council and Moshi Municipality. Specifically, the study analyzed BDSPs internal resources endowment, service delivery pathways and MSMEs absorptive capacity. Business Development Service Providers are recognized as public and private firms which provide a range of non-financial services to MSMEs. The study employed the cross-sectional design and mixed approaches namely qualitative and quantitative. A sample size of 254 MSMEs respondents was chosen using a simple random sampling technique and a sample size of 65 BDS providers were chosen using a purposive sampling technique. Primary data were collected using Key Informants Interviews (KII), a questionnaire survey, documentary review and focus group discussions (FGDs) methods. Qualitative data were analysed using content analysis and quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) software, for descriptive statistics including frequencies and percentages. The study results revealed that, most of the BDS providers had inadequate human resources to match the appropriate service delivery. However, MSMEs were highly satisfied with the personnel expertise and accessibility to services but they were dissatisfied with the costs of the service and increased operating expenses. Increased business operating expenses were caused by uncontrolled rent on business premises fluctuating transportations costs, raw material costs, and price fluctuations of raw materials. However, despite the inadequate resources of BDS providers, the impact of their services was significant in various MSMEs. The reported impacts derived from BDS provided to MSMEs were, increased ability to access inputs and loan, increased ability to run businesses and use of technology, increased yield and business diversification. The majority of BDS providers were private entities and mainly provided market access, provision of input supply, and alternative financing to MSMEs. This implies that most of the service providers in the study area w ere market oriented. However, there was a significant difference with regard to public BDS providers doing better in provision of infrastructure development and policy/advocacy because they are long lived and capital intensive. However, the most preferred service delivery pathways by BDS providers were training, seminars and workshop, technical demonstration centers and trade exhibitions, these were easier to organize and involved a large number of their clients. The findings also revealed the difficulty in determining the most appropriate pathway to follow in delivering BDS to MSMEs. The reasons being that in some cases, BDS providers used more than one delivery pathway. However, the study revealed a lack of generic service delivery pathway since each BDS provider has its own focus and work independently while MSMEs differed from one enterprise to another. Similarly, the study findings indicated that, the majority of MSMEs owners had secondary education and an experience of one to three years business management. Also, the majority of enterprises were micro with capital of more than or equal to Shs. <5million and more than or equal to < 5 employees. This indicates that, the majority of MSMEs had the capacity to identify appropriate BDS to meet their needs although an experience of 1-3 years in business management could impair their capacity to adopt to new knowledge timely. The findings also show that, the majority of enterprises were micro enterprises. This depicts low capital and therefore low ability to access and apply BDS for innovation, although they can access BDS through sponsored trainings, incubators and networking that allow sharing of resources and information. Similarly, it was observed that, despite the government's efforts to promote public BDS providers by providing incentives, access to BDS from these firms remained low, with only (39.8%) of MSMEs using their services. It is worth noting that, insufficient support and less accessibility of public BDS may impair development of MSMEs because of their low ability to purchase services from private service providers. In conclusion, capability of BDS providers is not only explained by capability of resources endowed because, in the study area the level of resources endowment differs from one BDSPs to another and the same applies to service delivery pathways. It was evident that effective BDS delivery depends on absorptive capacity of MSMEs to access and use delivered services. This implies that capability of BDS resources alone is not sufficient to enable successful service delivery, unless MSMEs are willing to access and utilize delivered services. Therefore, consideration of MSMEs absorptive capacity has to be taken seriously before development and delivery of BDS. This study advocates for policy makers to consider establishing guidelines which will be used to guide delivery of BDS. The government should also provide subsidies for private service providers who can invest and bring in appropriate technology to MSMEs. Subsidies should be attractive enough to compensate for the costs that may be incurred. In addition, policies such as minimum local content policies should be applied to motivate BDS providers to provide services to MSMEs particularly micro and small enterprises. This study has provided some empirical insights on the areas of focus and or future improvement to the MSMES policy of 2012 particularly on the business development service delivery standards and guidelines for service provision; such aspects are currently inadequately addressed.
Capabilities of government co-operative supporting organisations in dissemination of innovations to primary co-operative societies in Tanzania
(International Journal of Knowledge / Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 2019) Njau, L. S.; Massawe, F. A.; Mahonge, C. P.
Purpose: This paper assesses the capabilities of GCSOs in dissemination of innova- tions to primary co-operative societies (PCSos) in Tanzania. Design/Methodology: The study adopted a case study research design whereby five cases were picked. Primary data were collected using key informants (KIs) interviews, focus group discussions (FGDs), documentary review and direct observation. Docu- mented data were analysed using content analysis. The Atlas.ti computer software was used in analysing data from KIs and FGDs. Findings: The study revealed that most GCSOs have important resources but were unutilised for innovation activities. There were also lack of incentives to support inno- vation activities amongst GCSOs executives and personnel and lack of formal and comprehensive systems to reward innovation activities. Moreover, the study estab- lished weak innovations progression from lower node of innovation chains to higher ones. This scenario was coupled with neither institutionalised nor user-oriented ap- proaches regarding innovations dissemination. The study recommends that GCSOs executives should work to mobilise more internal resources to enable more innova- tions dissemination activities. They should also work to strengthen their innovation value chains by ensuring resources commitment and work to ensure deliberate inclu- sive efforts in engaging innovations users (PCSos) at all stages of the innovation chain activities. Limitations: The study covered GCSOs only as they have been receiving direct gov- ernment resources to support among other things innovation activities unlike other member-based and private organisations operating in Tanzania. Similarly, the study captured the GCSOs capabilities aspects within the key innovation value chain pro- cesses only. Originality/value: The paper assessed GCSOs capabilities in innovations dissemina- tion and proposes strategic measures necessary to ensure more innovations dissemina- tion to end-users.
Cassava value chain: willingness to pay for improved cassava planting material in coastal and Lake Victoria areas of Tanzania
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2019) Maggidi, Issa, Majid
Lack of clean planting materials and use of Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) and Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD) infected planting materials has been the major constraints to cassava production thus communities need to be empowered to have a self-sustaining clean seed production system. Therefore, agricultural policies of the countries in Sub- Saharan Africa should therefore emphasize seed system strategies which would result in good quality seed of the right varieties being available. There are many factors that hinder cassava production among them is the unavailability of clean quality improved planting material. To overcome the challenge of unavailability of clean quality improved planting materials, it is envisaged that its production in large quantity and dissemination in affordable manner is imminent. The production of such planting materials could be done on commercial basis. Therefore, objective of this study was to assess i) the cassava demand for industrial consumption; ii) the supply base of cassava planting materials; iii) the cost of planting materials incurred by smallholding farmers in the study areas and iv) to determine willingness of smallholding farmers to pay for clean quality improved planting material (improved cassava seeds) when produced and made available to them on commercial basis. The study found that 0 percent of the respondents obtain cassava planting materials from formal seed system, 89 percent do use seed-system approved and released planting materials and 99 percent obtain planting materials from their own source. Also, it was not easy to directly determine the cost of planting materials per hectare, though based on the survey conducted to determine willingness to pay for clean quality improved cassava planting materials it was estimated that smallholding farmers in the study areas would pay TZS 62 500 per hectare to obtain clean quality improved cassava planting materials. It was also found that factors influencing the willingness to pay were age, household monthly income, agronomic cost and residential location. The study also revealed wide range of cassava varieties which are grown in the surveyed areas whereby some of them take long time to mature. The research implications of this study are that the demand for improved cassava seeds creates opportunity for further research into the area whilst the practical implications are that entrepreneurial opportunity is available for investment into commercial production. Socially the results of this study increase the knowledge that smallholding farmers are now willing to pay for improved cassava seeds. It was thus concluded that, although smallholding farmers showed willingness to pay for clean quality improved cassava planting materials when disseminated on commercial setting, the price they are willing to pay is much less compared to what is currently charged by commercial cassava planting materials producers under a pilot project are charging. Also, factors influencing willingness to pay were age, household monthly income, area under cassava cultivation, agronomic cost, CBSD disease attack, revenue from selling cassava, cassava selling price, industrial demand awareness, getting extension services, need for training and farming group membership. Smallholding farmers at Muheza district were more willing to pay compared to Kwimba and lastly Sengerema respectively. It was recommended that community based or commercial planting materials farms be established to ensure smallholding farmers obtain clean quality improved planting materials affordably and timely. It was recommended that a proper governance of the cassava value chain be put in place with measures such as establishing a cassava governing board and policy framework such as a Cassava Master Plan.

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