Livelihood diversification and the expansion of artisanal mining in rural Tanzania: drivers and policy implications

This paper provides an extended analysis of livelihood diversification in rural Tanzania, with special emphasis on artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Over the past decade, this sector of industry, which is labour-intensive and comprises an array of rudimentary and semi-mechanized operations, has become an indispensable economic activity throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, providing employment to a host of redundant public sector workers, retrenched large-scale mine labourers and poor farmers. In many of the region’s rural areas, it is overtaking subsistence agriculture as the primary industry. Such a pattern appears to be unfolding within the Morogoro and Mbeya regions of southern Tanzania, where findings from recent research suggest that a growing number of smallholder farmers are turning to ASM for employment and financial support. It is imperative that national rural development programmes take this trend into account and provide support to these people

Assessing Agricultural Productivity among Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Tanzania: Evidence from Rungwe District

Journal of Continuing Education and Extension, 2005; 2(1): 102 - 111This paper presents empirical findings on resource productivity and allocation efficiency in smallholder coffee farmers in Rungwe district. The data used in this paper are based on a case study that involved interviewing 90 farmers. A Cobb- Douglas production function was used to estimate the production organization of the coffee farmers, and their efficiency in resource use. The results show that the farmers display a low level of efficiency in using available resources. The results indicate further that farmers would increase farm productivity by the using adequate capital-intensive input levels in order to maximize their efficiency. In order to achieve the use of capital-intensive inputs, farmers should take advantage of increasing their bargaining power in both input and output markets. Farmers' groups/associations further provide group liability in the procurement of credit from both formal and informal financial lending institutions. This in turn will improve farmers input purchasing power. The knowledge and skill on how to improve both the institutional and technical aspects of coffee production require regular updating so that farmers can optimize the use of available resources. Continuing education for farmers is therefore emphasized for promoting efficient resource utilization as well cis enhancing farm productivity

Assessing Agricultural Productivity among Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Tanzania: Evidence from Rungwe District

Journal of Continuing Education and Extension, 2005; 2(1): 102 - 111This paper presents empirical findings on resource productivity and allocation efficiency in smallholder coffee farmers in Rungwe district. The data used in this paper are based on a case study that involved interviewing 90 farmers. A Cobb- Douglas production function was used to estimate the production organization of the coffee farmers, and their efficiency in resource use. The results show that the farmers display a low level of efficiency in using available resources. The results indicate further that farmers would increase farm productivity by the using adequate capital-intensive input levels in order to maximize their efficiency. In order to achieve the use of capital-intensive inputs, farmers should take advantage of increasing their bargaining power in both input and output markets. Farmers' groups/associations further provide group liability in the procurement of credit from both formal and informal financial lending institutions. This in turn will improve farmers input purchasing power. The knowledge and skill on how to improve both the institutional and technical aspects of coffee production require regular updating so that farmers can optimize the use of available resources. Continuing education for farmers is therefore emphasized for promoting efficient resource utilization as well cis enhancing farm productivity

The Influence of Social Competence on the Types of Entrepreneurial Networks Formed by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs): Empirical Evidence From Tanzania's Manufacturing SMEs

Journal of Business Studies and Economics (JBSE), 2019; 1(1): 48-69This study examined the influence of five dimensions of social competence namely social perception, social adaptability, social expressiveness, impression management, and persuasiveness on the types of entrepreneurial networks formed by SMEs. Types of entrepreneurial networks are social networks, business networks, and supporting networks. To achieve this objective the study adopted a cross-sectional study design where by data were collected from manufacturing SMEs in Tanzania in four types of sub-sectors viz food processing, woodwork, ironwork, and textile. 250 SMEs were selected through stratified random sampling procedure. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data in a survey from owner- managers of these SMEs. Statistical analysis included factor and Poisson regression model. The study findings identify and indicate that a number of social competence dimensions have a significant influence on networks formation. These findings suggest that social competence is influential in determining the type and size of entrepreneurial networks formed by SMEs

REDD and sustainable development – perspective from Tanzania

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