Nutrition Improvement Projects in Tanzania: Appropriate Choice of Institutions Matters\ud

Nutrition Improvement Projects (NIPs) are sets of planned activities specifically undertaken as interventions to reduce malnutrition and its associated problems in the communities. The study focused on five NIPs of varying nature. The projects included the internationally known Iringa Nutrition Project, and the National Salt Iodation Project. Others include, a locally processed weaning food, and smallholder agricultural-based projects. The aligning of institutions for delivering primary health services attempted by some nutrition improvement projects in Tanzania seems to be in disharmony with the organizational capacities, and therefore causing high transaction costs. On the other hand, things look promising for the deliverance of non-public good services. The private sector - through the use of market mechanism, and more involvement of the civil society as a way of increasing the participation of beneficiaries, hold the key to success for that matter. Such arrangements are likely to be favoured by the continuing economic changes in the country.\u

The Impact of Foreign Direct Investment on Agricultural Productivity and Poverty Reduction in Tanzania

In this paper, the impact of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on agricultural productivity and poverty reduction are examined. Factors that hinder FDI flow to agriculture in Tanzania are assessed. Specifically, the role of FDI in improving an agricultural firm’s efficiency in Tanzania and reforms required for more effective investment promotion in agriculture are examined. The study uses literature review to draw its conclusions and policy recommendations. It is observed that FDI has a positive impact on productivity especially to smallholder farmers who are linked in integrated producer schemes. The study recommends rethinking of the smallholder institutional setup for increasing productivity and FDI flow to the agricultural sector. An important implication of the results is that FDI to Tanzania and specifically to agriculture, has a much more far- reaching economic and social impact than in other sectors.FDI; Smallholders; Integrated Producer Schemes; Agricultural Productivity; Poverty Reduction; Tanzania

Environmental implications of phytoextraction for mercury and gold : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Earth Science

The overall objective of this study was to investigate how plants could be used to harvest gold (phytomining) and at the same time remove mercury (phytoremediation) from auriferous mercury-contaminated soils. This study was undertaken to find appropriate plants that could be used to harvest gold, residual in mine tailings or in uneconomic low-grade ore, and at the same time remove residual mercury, commonly used to extract the gold in artisanal mining areas. Different procedures involving analytical methodology, leaching of acid mine tailings and the growing of plants in both gold and mercury-bearing substrates were undertaken. The analytical methods involved in the analysis of gold in the laboratory using the modern instruments were Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS) and Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GFAAS). The determination of mercury involved using Flameless Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. To understand the induced solubility of metals in phytoextraction, Tui mine tailings were leached with several chemicals known to solubilise gold: ammonium thiocyanate, ammonium thiosulphate and urea. The pH of the tailings material was varied through amendment with lime to examine the effect of this geochemical parameter on metal solubility and thus the potential for both plant uptake and leaching. The Tui mine tailings were chosen because of their geochemistry; these are highly weathered sulphide-ore tailings that leach heavy metals into adjacent water systems. The induced-phytoextraction potential of root crops was also examined in this thesis. Five root crops were grown in an artificial substrate consisting of 3.8 mg/kg (ppm) of elemental gold dispersed in sand. The possibility of using these root crops for phytomining was determined by separately adding chelating agents ammonium thiocyanate and ammonium thiosulphate to the substrate. In most cases there was a higher gold concentration in the roots than in the shoots. The highest mean gold concentrations were found in carrot roots and in roots of two radish cultivars. It was concluded that there was some potential for the use of carrot to grow an economic crop of gold from mine tailings. Results obtained from experiments where plants were grown in Tui tailings indicated that both chicory and Brassica juncea could be used for the phytoextraction of gold and mercury in the same crop. Under acidic conditions thiocyanate induced the uptake of gold by Brassica juncea and the uptake of mercury by chicory; and thiosulphate induced the uptake of mercury by chicory, but it did not induce the uptake of gold by the same plant. Under alkaline conditions, treatment with ammonium thiosulphate induced the uptake of gold and mercury by Brassica juncea; and treatment with thiosulphate induced the uptake of mercury by chicory but it did not induce the uptake of gold. It was therefore concluded that, Brassica juncea could be used for phytoextraction of gold and mercury when ammonium thiosulphate is applied to the substrate. Results from the root-crop experiment indicate that, carrots could supersede most of the plants used due to the greater apparent metal-uptake potential. Finally, a model is proposed for field trials to examine the potential of phytoextraction for gold and mercury in Tanzania. The aim of this model is to examine how the positive results obtained from research conducted in the laboratory and greenhouse can be put into practice. The use of similar plants as well as traditional tropical species (e.g. wild cassava - a known accumulator of cyanide) is suggested along with suitable chemical amendments

Estimation of Technical Efficiency in Tanzanian Sugarcane Production: A Case Study of Mtibwa Sugar Estate Outgrowers Scheme

This study describes the technical efficiency of sugarcane production and the factors affecting this efficiency. The study was conducted in Turiani Division, Mvomero District, Morogoro Region, Tanzania. Specifically, the study determined and compared the level of technical efficiency of outgrower and non-outgrower farmers, and examined the relationship between levels of efficiency and various specific factors. A cross sectional single-visit survey that included randomly selected representative samples of 140 outgrower and non-outgrower farmers was conducted. To estimate technical efficiency analysis was done using a (FRONTIER Version 4.1) computer program for stochastic frontier production and cost function estimation developed by Coelli, (1996). Technical efficiency was estimated using the Cobb-Douglas production frontier assumed to have a truncated normal distribution. The results of the estimation showed that there were significant positive relationships between age, education, and experience with technical efficiency.Technical efficiency; Outgrowers; Sugarcane; Morogoro; Tanzania

Capacity Building In Information And Communication Management (ICM) Towards Food Security

This paper addresses capacity strengthening needs in the area of ICM to support food security initiatives. It fully acknowledges that FS is a state of assuring physical availability and economic accessibility to enough food in terms of quantity (amount, distribution, calories), quality (safe, nutritious, balanced) and cultural acceptability for all people at all times for a healthy and active life. It starts by outlining how ICM can support strategies to ensure availability, access, acceptability, adequacy, and agency and it highlights key information needs in each case. A FS Information and Communication Web is developed basing on a generic conceptual framework of determinants of food security. The web delineates information needs that would support strategies to ensure adequacy of food, stability of supply, and access – physical and economical. The paper then articulates capacity strengthening needs in line with the three dimensions or levels of food security: national, community and household. Four case studies: (i) Uganda’s ICT policy and Food Security (ii) Human Resources needs at community level drawing experiences from Africa and Asia (iii) HR Capacity Development Needs in Africa by the IMF (iv) Audio visual and farmer skills in Mali – serve to demonstrate grassroots ICM applications that support food security initiatives, and in each case it points to theme specific capacity strengthening needs. The studies, as a result, demonstrate how enhanced ICM capacity can support food security through: developing suitable ICT policies, empowering communities with ICM knowledge, improving development planning, enhancing agricultural productivity, supporting marketing systems, improving natural resources management and conservation, and through effective execution of early warning systems – all having implications for food security. The paper concludes by presenting a summary of capacity strengthening needs. These range from sensitization of regional and national policy makers, down to technical skills required by data collectors, analysts and information generators, knowledge disseminators and also knowledge users. To achieve the above the paper proposes roles that may be played by governments, NGOs, education sector, research and development institutions, regional and international organizations, and CTA.Capacity Building, Food Security, ICM, Tanzania

Access and Use of E-Resources in Tanzanian Academic and Research Institutions: A Summary of Survey Report

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Addressing food self-sufficiency in Tanzania: a balancing act of policy coordination

This paper examines the performance of food production and productivity in Tanzania since 2000, in relation to post-SAP policies. This discussion assumes that individual households in Tanzania strive to achieve food security through own production as well as purchases from the market. Meanwhile, the government strives to meet national food self-sufficiency of main staples (maize,rice and cassava) from local production, implying that individual farmers must produce a surplus, which is then marketed efficiently so that everybody can access sufficient and good-quality food at all times at affordable prices. Any change in the policy environment changes the opportunity set and hence the choices individuals make, which in turn shapes the aggregate performance of economies over time (North, 1993). It is in this context that the analysis in this paper looks at the performance of food production and marketing, at the micro and macro levels, during the post-SAP period in Tanzania, as influenced by preceding and prevailing policies and institutions, in particular focusing on the magnitude and direction of change. The discussion is guided by several questions: is there any change happening in food production? What is driving that change? Can the change be sustained? What is the role of supporting institutions, markets and governance in directing this change?Tanzania; Food security; market failure; policy review; sokoine university of agriculture

Child marriage: An obstacle to socio-economic development in sub-Saharan Africa

Africa is among the regions in the world with a high rate of child marriage. In many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the minimum legal age for the marriage of girls is still under 18 years. Although ending child marriage is now one of the goal targets of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of Gender Equality (goal 5), investment to end the practice remains limited across Africa. Apart from its negative impact on the physical growth, health, and mental and emotional development of a girl child, it is also linked to the unequal position of women in society, and limits their access to owning property, formal employment, and education. Girls who marry young are more likely to be poor and remain poor. Child marriage affects the entire society, as it reinforces a cycle of poverty and perpetuates illiteracy and malnutrition, as well as a high infant and maternal mortality rate. Furthermore, child marriage undermines the achievement of eight (or almost half) of the 17 SDGs. This article examines the socio-economic impact of child marriage in Africa. It considers five domains of impact, namely lost opportunity to grow; cost facing healthcare systems; lost education and earnings; lower growth potential, and the perpetuation of poverty. It seeks to establish a link between child marriage and the socio-economic status of African states. The article argues that women and girls constitute over 50 per cent of the African population and give birth to the other 50 per cent. Therefore, their interests must be protected to ensure the development of the African continent

The comparative role of independent and intervening variables on influencing the adoption of nitrogen fertilization among maize growers in the Njombe District

Various practices including Nitrogen fertilization have been recommended in the Njombe District to maintain its status as one of the districts that is famous in maize production in Tanzania. Despite the recommendation the level of adoption is not convincing that forced this study to investigate variables that are most important in determining the adoption behaviour. A cross sectional research design was used to collect data from 113 respondents selected from four villages namely, Ulembwe, Igagala, Kibena and Uwemba. The statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. The findings reveal that the intervening variables (like efficiency misperception (EM), need tension (NT), prominence and knowledge) played a great role in determining the adoption behaviour compared to independent variables (like age, sex, level of education, farm size and area under maize production). It is therefore recommended that more emphasis should be placed in addressing intervening variables in order to enhance adoption in the study area.Keywords: Independent, Intervening, adoption, Nitrogen fertilizers, Agricultural Extensio

Explaining Productivity Variation among Smallholder Maize Farmers in Tanzania

Using a stochastic frontier production model proposed by Battese and Coelli (1995), the paper estimates the levels of technical efficiency of 233 smallholder maize farmers in Tanzania and provides an empirical analysis of the determinants of inefficiency with the aim of finding way to increase smallholders’ maize production and productivity. Results shows that smallholder productivity is very low and highly variable, ranging form 0.01t/ha to 6.77t/ha, averaging 1.19t/ha. Technical efficiencies of smallholder maize farmers range from 0.011 to 0.910 with a mean of 0.606. Low levels of education, lack of extension services, limited capital, land fragmentation, and unavailability and high input prices are found to have a negative effect on technical efficiency. Smallholder farmers using hand-hoe and farmers with cash incomes outside their farm holdings (petty business) are found to more efficient. However, farmers who use agrochemicals are found to be less efficient. Policy implications drawn from the results include a review of agricultural policy with regard to renewed public support to revamp the agricultural extension system, and interventions towards improving market infrastructure in order to reduce the transaction element in the input and output marketing.Productivity variation; smallholder farmers; technical efficiency; maize; tanzania