Spices production and household income in Morogoro Rural District
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Date
2007
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Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
This study was conducted in Morogoro Rural districts in Tawa and Kibogwa wards, which
were purposively selected to examine contribution of spice production to the farmers’
income. Forty respondents were purposively selected in three villages purposively
selected in each ward based on involvement in spices production. Results showed that the
main types of spices cultivated were Black pepper, Cloves, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Ginger
and Vannila, which were cultivated as either intercrop or monocrop.
Other crops included; bananas, fruits and cassava. Though not significant at 95% confidence interval (P = 0.056) spices contributed 39% of mean household cash income per season, which
was slightly higher than that for other crops. The corresponding values for bananas,
cassava and fruits were 28%, 22% and 11%, respectively. Incomes from spices were
important for several economical and social demands such as house construction,
purchasing assets, payment of school fees and buying food during time of food shortages.
In Kibogwa ward, the major constraints to spice production were lack of extension
services, lack of capital and unstable prices reported by 33%, 13% and 8% of the
interviewed households, respectively. The corresponding values were 27%, 22% and 18%
of interviewed households in Tawa ward. Improved road networks to facilitate extension
services delivery and transport to market centres, informal and formal credit facilities are
recommended for improved and profitable spice production.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Spice production, Black pepper, Morogoro Rural districts, Kibogwa wards