Factors responsible for the decline of cotton production in Tanzania: the case study of Maswa district 1973/74-1983/84
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Date
1988
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University of Dar es Salaam
Abstract
Cotton is one of the major cash crops in Tanzania. It is entirely produced by small farmers in the country and its growth depends entirely on rainfall. The major cotton producing areas in Tanzania are in Sukumaland (known as Western cotton producing zone). This includes Mwanza and Shinyanga Regions. A little cottonis produced in the coastal: zone, Mara, Tabora, Kilimanjaro, Kagera and Kigoma Regions. Our observations shows that between 1964/65 and 1973/74, the production of cotton in the country and Maswa in particularly was stable (good), but between the years 1973/74 and 1983/84, there was a drastic drop in cotton production in the whole country including Maswa District. Production of cotton did not come up until 1984/85 when a recovery in production started to be observed. This dissertation investigates the factors which were responsible for the decline of cotton production in Tanzania between the years 1973/74 and 1983/84, with special emphasis being placed on Maswa District. The results are discussed in the context of literature review from three books (scholars) among the many we have surveyed. The main issue which has been pointed out by the three scholars is the decline of food crops in Tanzania between 1974-76 and 1970-79. Among the factors which had been advanced as having influenced the decline of food crops production include: villagisation, protesting against socialism, low producer prices and ecological factors. Lofchie refutes the ecological factors, while Briggs argues that villagisation and poor climatic factors had influenced the decline of crops in Tanzania at that time. Frank Ellis was interested in studying the producer prices and their implications to the producers in the rural areas in general. Our study also includes analysis of the geography of Maswa, the production of cotton in Maswa, the production of cotton in Maswa before the imposition of colonial rule and during the colonial rule up to post independence time. Factors which had enhanced the production of cotton in the District in those times have also been pointed out. Some of the major results of the study show the factors which caused the decline of cotton production in Maswa in 1973/74 - 1983/84 are: (1), Ecological factors. (2) Poor administration of cotton production and the marketing of cotton. (3}, The low income generated from cotton sales. (4}, Institutional changes in the marketing of cotton in Maswa and (5), the villagisation programme in the District. Other factors which were mentioned by respondents as having caused the decline of cotton production in Maswa are: (1}, lack of incentives to the Agricultural Extension Officers in the District (2} Non availability of essential commodities to the peasants in the District. (3), Departure of the youngsters from the villages in search of gold in Kahama and Geita. (4), Infertility of soils in the District, (5) , The war between facist Idd Amin and Tanzania, (6}, Finally, Boor spacing in planting of cotton seeds coupled with poor use of fertilizers and insecticides. Of the factors listed above, only (3 and 5} are not really significant. The number of respondents who mentioned these factors are relatively few. Out of this study, we recommend a similar study covering a large area and more variables should be conducted.
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Keywords
Cotton, Maswa, Tanzania (district), Economic conditions, Agriculture
Citation
Guyashi, J. G. (1988) Factors responsible for the decline of cotton production in Tanzania: the case study of Maswa district 1973/74-1983/84, Masters dissertation, University of Dar es Salaam. Available at (http://41.86.178.3/internetserver3.1.2/detail.aspx)