Field vegetable production in the lake zone of Tanzania

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Date

2014

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Wageningen

Abstract

In November 2012 and in August 2014 surveys were carried out in field vegetable producing areas in the Lake Zone of Tanzania. The areas visited in 2012 were: (i) Kibeyo, Mugumu district, (ii) Mogabiri, Tarime district, (iii) Nyabange, Musoma rural district, (iv) Itumbili, Magu district, and (v) Nyaholongo, Nyamatale and Kagera, Misungwi district. In 2014, (i) Chamabanda, Sengerema district, (ii) Iyogelo, Sengerema district, (iii) Bugulula, Geita district, (iv) Kibwela, Geita district, (v) Kiziba, Geita district and the vegetable market in Bukoba town and a seed shop in Bukoba town were visited. The aim of the surveys was to learn the conditions for field vegetable production and marketing in these areas. Recommendations for the development of vegetable production were formulated in order to enlarge the supply of vegetable products and secure a balanced nutrition for the rural and urban population. Field vegetable production in the Lake Zone area is mostly small scale and rain dependent. A wide variety of crops is cultivated and production itself is professional. Production in the dry season is limited by the availability of water, and when water is available, by the amount of labour spend on hand watering the crop. Most of the information on pest and disease control is provided by the agro-dealers where farmers buy their pesticides. Packaging of products is at an elementary level. Marketing of products is mainly local, to nearby villages and towns and to the few larger cities in the Lake Zone and occasionally to Kenya. It is recommended to demonstrate and facilitate the introduction of labour and water saving drip irrigation techniques, to reduce the amount of labour and water that is needed for crop production, thereby making expansion of the area under vegetable production in the dry season possible. Where no water is available in the dry season, the options of constructing bore holes should be investigated. The supply of information on effective pest and disease control, independent from agro-dealers, is urgently needed to improve pest and disease control and to avoid misuse of pesticides. Stimulation of vegetable production in the rural areas will create employment. To secure future production, conservation of the natural vegetation is recommended to protect water catchment areas and avoid regional climate change.

Description

2014 Wageningen, Foundation Stichting Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek (DLO) research institute Praktijkonderzoek Plant & Omgeving. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the DLO, Praktijkonderzoek Plant & Omgeving (Applied Plant Research), Business Unit Arable Farming, Multifunctional Agriculture and Field Production of Vegetables.

Keywords

Citation