Farmer-identified indigenous fruit tree with suitable attributes for the semi-arid Northern Province of South Africa

The study describes different research techniques used to gather useful information to assist smallholder farmers in making important decisions on the identification and selection of an indigenous fruit tree for domestication and commercialisation. The study demonstrates how action research brings together farmer-researcher actors into rural development in an interaction designed to address and find a solution to a problem as identified by farmers. In the end an indigenous technology/product is selected, that fits well into smallholder farming systems. The indigenous fruit tree, Mmupudu (Mimusops zeyheri; English = Transvaal red milkwood; Afrikaans = Moepel) was top - ranked as having favourable environmental, economic and nutritional attributes for conditions under which rural communities in the semiarid Northern Province of South Africa live

Impact of debt relief on fiscal allocation to social priority sectors and response of social indicators in the HIPCs : a case study of Tanzania

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 60-65).External debt burden has been viewed as one of the key impediments to economic growth and a cause of widespread poverty in the Heavily lndebted Poor Countries (HIPCs). To join efforts of the HIPCs in ï¬ ghting poverty, the international donor community granted substantial debt relief through different initiatives including among others; unilateral bilateral agreements, the Paris Club Agreements, debt buyback schemes, the I-IIPC Initiative and its successor, the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative (MDRI). All these initiatives were expected to increase public spending in social priority sectors and ultimately reduce poverty incidence in the HIPC-s. This study assesses, firstly whether the debt relief has helped to increase Government spending on education and health sectors in Tanzania and, secondly, whether increased ï¬ scal spending on the sectors has translated into improvement in the primary and secondary school enrollments and life expectancy. A system of structural equations is estimated within a Vector Autoregressive (VAR) framework. The ï¬ ndings suggest increases in Government expenditure on education and health through debt relief. Primary and secondary school enrolments improve with increased Government spending on education and health. Institutional quality is found to be signiï¬ cant in determining education spending and educational indicators. However, life expectancy was not found to respond to public Spending, possibly due to the inherent gestation period in health related indicators and quality of data used. Nevertheless, the ï¬ ndings, though based on short-run series, give an insight that in the long-run, the cumulative effects of debt relief can contribute towards successes in the ï¬ ght against poverty and ultimately attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS)

Factors Affecting the Adoption of Forage Technologies in Smallholder Dairy Production Systems in Lushoto, Tanzania

Despite population pressure and the urgent need for dairy production to be doubled by 2050, there is still a significant deficit in milk production in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Lack of quantity and quality feed is one of the major factors causing unsatisfactory milk yields. This Working Paper assessed the adoption potential of forage technologies in Lushoto, Tanga district, Tanzania. We carried out an extensive literature review of past work on smallholder dairy production in SSA and Tanzania, and the adoption rate of forage technologies; visited and observed farmers’ fields in Lushoto; carried out interviews with farmers; and used a Qualitative participatory expert-based Assessment Tool for Forage Technology adoption (QATo-FT) in a multi-stakeholder workshop. Results showed that the adoption rate of improved forage technologies in Lushoto is still in the early stages following classical diffusion theories. The farmers’ interviews revealed that while the triggering factors for adoption were related to the shortage of feed and soil conservation problems, the potential economic advantages were not as dominant as expected. Farmers reported the reasons for sustaining the practices of growing improved forages as the year-round availability of fodder, increased fodder demand and accumulated benefits. The low actual adoption rates contrasted with results from the QATo-FT assessment that revealed a high overall adoption potential for Lushoto. The following factors all exerted a positive influence on adoption potential: the general receptive nature of the community towards the technology; the expectations of improved forages on ecological benefits; and the role of promoting institutions. Factors exerting a weaker influence included the political and institutional framework at regional level, and products and input markets conditions for forage and overall livestock farming. Most important barriers to adoption were related to the whole farming system and the wider environment. The opportunity cost for labor was low due to lack of off-farm income possibilities, hence making it favorable for farmers to collect fodder from distant places instead of saving labor through growing forages closer to the homestead. Further, several other livestock management factors confounded potential gains in milk production through improved forages: current breeds were often not sufficiently high yielding to respond to improved feeding; providing water to zero grazing animals was not always achievable for labor-constrained farms; many farmers let forages overgrow for use in times of scarcity (dry season) which led to lower-than-necessary forage being fed to animals; sufficient planting material and extension advice on forage management and harvesting was not always available; milk prices were low and would not be increased if the volume of milk production did not increase (the collection center was operating at < 50% capacity). To increase future forage adoption rates, it is recommended to invest in knowledge transfer, more effective local authority and extension structures, stronger multi-stakeholder partnerships, access to loan and credit facilities, improvement of off-farm income possibilities, better access to input markets including AI and forage planting material, and more favorable output markets. By doing this, the performance of existing heads of cattle for the region would be improved, milk yields would increase and eventually farmers’ income levels would be enhanced. This could improve nutrition, and eventually contribute to poverty alleviation in SSA

Effects of school-based physical activity and multi-micronutrient supplementation intervention on growth, health and well-being of schoolchildren in three African countries: the KaziAfya cluster randomised controlled trial protocol with a 2 x 2 factorial design

Background In low- and middle-income countries, infectious diseases remain a key public health issue. Additionally, non-communicable diseases are a rapidly growing public health problem that impose a considerable burden on population health. One way to address this dual disease burden, is to incorporate (lifestyle) health promotion measures within the education sector. In the planned study, we will (i) assess and compare physical activity, physical fitness, micronutrient status, body composition, infections with soil-transmitted helminths, Schistosoma mansoni, malaria, inflammatory and cardiovascular health risk markers, cognitive function, health-related quality of life, and sleep in schoolchildren in Côte d’Ivoire, South Africa and Tanzania. We will (ii) determine the bi- and multivariate associations between these variables and (iii) examine the effects of a school-based health intervention that consists of physical activity, multi-micronutrient supplementation, or both. Methods Assuming that no interaction occurs between the two interventions (physical activity and multi-micronutrient supplementation), the study is designed as a cluster-randomised, placebo-controlled trial with a 2 × 2 factorial design. Data will be obtained at three time points: at baseline and at 9 months and 21 months after the baseline assessment. In each country, 1320 primary schoolchildren from grades 1–4 will be recruited. In each school, classes will be randomly assigned to one of four interventions: (i) physical activity; (ii) multi-micronutrient supplementation; (iii) physical activity plus multi-micronutrient supplementation; and (iv) no intervention, which will serve as the control. A placebo product will be given to all children who do not receive multi-micronutrient supplementation. After obtaining written informed consent from the parents/guardians, the children will be subjected to anthropometric, clinical, parasitological and physiological assessments. Additionally, fitness tests will be performed, and children will be invited to wear an accelerometer device for 7 days to objectively assess their physical activity. Children infected with S. mansoni and soil-transmitted helminths will receive deworming drugs according to national policies. Health and nutrition education will be provided to the whole study population independently of the study arm allocation. Discussion The study builds on the experience and lessons of a previous study conducted in South Africa. It involves three African countries with different social-ecological contexts to investigate whether results are generalisable across the continent

Geotourism, iconic landforms and island-style speciation patterns in National Parks of East Africa:

Many of the national parks in East Africa are equally as famous for their iconic landforms as they are for their diversity and concentrations of fauna and flora. The newly formed Ngorongoro-Lengai Geopark in northern Tanzania is the first geopark to be established in the region, but there is remarkable potential for geotourism in the majority of the national parks. The most spectacular landforms have been shaped by the East African Rift System. Formation of the two major rifts in the region, the Albertine Rift (or western branch) and the Gregory Rift (or eastern branch), was accompanied, or in some cases preceded, by extensive alkaline volcanism. The rifting and volcanism are primarily Late Cenozoic phenomenon that dissected and overprinted the older regional plateaus. Rifting impacted the regional drainage and captured major rivers, including the Victoria Nile

Gender roles in livestock production : the case of Tchenzema Ward in the western Uluguguru Highlands - Morogoro - Tanzania

The study was designed to determine livestock production relations by gender in a matrilineal society in Tchenzema Morogoro Tanzania. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from a randomly selected sample of 200 households with equal numbers of men and women. Secondary data was obtained from literature. The data was compiled by using the D Base Programme and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences Programme. The study results showed that livestock husbandry tasks were shared between males and females of all ages. However males contributed slightly more labour than females in feeding, health care, cleaning shed and marketing. Decisions on task allocation and time for a task as well as livestock purchase, innovation adoption and marketing were jointly made by couples. There was no gender variation in the extension method preferred but both gender preferred demonstrations and extension officers visits over other methods. The least preferred extension method by both gender was institutional training. It is recommended that in order to improve livestock production in the area extension messages should be targeted to both gender using extension officers visits and demonstrations

A comparative study of two agricultural extension approaches in Dodoma Region, Tanzania

The study compares two extension approaches; Sasakawa Global 2000 and the Training and Visit (T & V) as implemented in the field in Dodoma region Tanzania. Salient features of each approach are described and their strengths and weaknesses are revealed including the implications of having two extension approaches in one area. It is recommended that the successful elements of the approaches be combined to optimize program effectiveness and efficiency and beneficiaries should be involved in program decisions

Diagnosis of rinderpest in Tanzania by a rapid chromatographic strip-test

A simple chromatographic strip-test based on Clearview technology, is under development as a penside test for the detection of rinderpest antigen in eye swabs taken from cattle in the field. An outbreak of rinderpest occurred in the northern zone of Tanzania from late February to June 1997. The affected cattle exhibited very mild clinical signs, which made clinical diagnosis difficult. One hundred and seven eye swabs were collected from cattle suspected of infection with rinderpest. These were tested in the field using a prototype of the pen-side test and 13 (12.15%) of the samples were found to be positive for the presence of rinderpest antigen. These were confirmed by ICE. The positive cases were predominantly found in the Ngorongoro district. This demonstrates the usefulness of such a simple, rapid penside diagnostic assay, particularly when clinically 'mild' strains of rinderpest are present