Browsing by Author "Tweve, Sila"

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    Smallholder farmers access to subsidized fertilizer in Ifakara: the case study of Lumemo Ward, Ifakara Town Council, Tanzania.
    (University of Dar es Salaam, 2017) Tweve, Sila
    This study intended to evaluate the accessibility of subsidized fertilizer to smallholder farmers as provided through the National Agricultural Inputs Vouchers Scheme. The study intended to evaluate three objectives which are to determine the extents in which subsidy fertilizers are accessible to small holder farmers, to assess the constraints towards the use of subsidy fertilizers and to assess the extents of subsidy in fertilizers. The study was conducted in Lumemo ward, Ifakara Town Council in Morogoro Tanzania. Structured interviews and focus group discussion were used to generate data from 48 smallholder farmers who’s formed a sample. The results indicate that large number of smallholder farmers have access to subsidy fertilizers though late delivery of subsidized fertilizers, and small amount of fertilizers were the main challenges facing them. Those who do not have access to subsidy fertilizers reported lack of money to co-finance the input as the main challenge. Other challenges mentioned included lack of information during registration, difficult conditions provided in order to qualify as a beneficiary, and few vouchers received by the ward compared to the number of small holder fanners registered. The result also indicated that the land criteria in selecting beneficiaries of the program were not followed completely. According to the criteria a beneficiary should be a farmer cultivating less than one acre, but majority of respondents who were the beneficiaries of the program reported to cultivate more than two acres. The government should scale-up the program by focusing on the strategies which will allow more smallholder farmers to access subsidy fertilizers by increasing the amount of fertilizers, providing timely information, ensuring timely delivery of inputs and ensure adherence to criteria and procedures of selecting beneficiaries.