5
High climatic variability results in a wide range of agro-ecological conditions, which allows
for diverse agricultural livelihoods. Tanzania’s agro-ecological zones (AEZs) range from
higher rainfall areas on highlands and coast in the north, far west, south and southwest, and
arid / semi-arid areas in the interior of the country (
Map 2
).
2.1.3 Agricultural land use
Tanzania has a total of about 7.1 million hectare (ha) of high and medium potential land (2.3
and 4.8 million ha respectively) suitable for irrigation, supported by rivers, lakes, wetlands
and aquifers. Of the total 2.3 million ha classified as high-potential, only 461,326 ha had
improved irrigation system in 2015, accounting for only 1.6 percent of the total land with
irrigation potential. An estimated 55 percent of the land could be used for agriculture, and
more than 51 per cent for pasture. However, only about 6 percent of the agricultural land is
cultivated, and the practice of shifting cultivation causes deforestation and land degradation
on pastoral land. Tanzania is one of the few countries in Africa that still has extensive
wildlife resources and protected areas that account for about 25 per cent of its total land area.
9
2.1.4 Agriculture, livestock and fishery / aquaculture production
Tanzania’s cropping patterns are determined by the agro-climatic zones, falling under two
broad categories: the uni-modal and the bi-modal rainfall areas. The latter is characterized by
short-rains supporting the short cropping season, known as “vuli”, with planting around
October / November and harvesting in late January / February, in addition to the main, long-
rainy season, called “masika” which follows the “vuli” season, with planting starting in late
February / March and harvesting in July / August. The bi-modal areas extend over the
northern and north-eastern regions, including Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Moshi, Tanga, as well as
Kigoma, Kagera, Mwanza, Mara and parts of Morogoro, Mbeya, Dar es Salaam and Coast.
Elsewhere in the country, i.e. the central and southern highland regions, rainfalls are uni-
modal, known as “msimu”, with planting starting around November and harvest taking place
from May to July, with exception of green harvest between March and May (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Crop Calendar
10
9 Source: Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Fisheries (2015).
10
http://www.fews.net/east-africa/tanzania/seasonal-calendar/december-2013
6
The contribution of the “vuli” season to total national food crop production averages 17
percent (about 15 percent in the case of cereals crops). The rest is attributed to the “
masika”
and “msimu” season.
11
Tanzania’s farming system consist of a diverse combination of crops, livestock, poultry,
fruits, vegetables, fisheries and aquaculture products. Maize, followed by rice, cassava, sweet
potatoes, wheat, beans, sugarcane, groundnut, banana and palm oil constitute the ten top
commodities in the country and comparably reflect the main type of agricultural production.
12
Nevertheless, other cereals such as sorghum and millet still represent an important source of
calories for the rural population. Cash crops such as coffee, cocoa, ginger, cardamom and
cashew nuts are cultivated on smaller areas, but with higher economical returns.
Another significant component of the agriculture sector is livestock, including cattle, goats
and sheep in order of importance, followed by poultry production which is widespread
activity especially among women. Besides meat production, other products from livestock
include hides and skin, milk and eggs. Livestock also contributes to crop and vegetable
production by providing draft power for cultivation and organic manure.
Fishery and aquaculture are also additional sectors to be considered, however the number of
people rely on these types of activities for their livelihood is much less compared to the one
relying on the crop and livestock sub-sectors.
2.1.5 Food Security and nutrition situation
Despite Tanzania is considered to be overall food secure, there are still inter and intra-
regional levels of vulnerability towards food insecurity. This is due to localized crop failure
mainly attributed to drought, pest and disease as well as low accessibility to agricultural
inputs such as improved seeds and fertilizers. Some regions and districts continue to have
surplus of production, whereas others remain with pockets of persistent food shortage. On the
other hand, prevalence of chronic malnutrition or stunting in the country remains very high
(42 percent). In addition to that, the prevalence of underweight among children under five
years is about 16 percent – considered as “medium” based on the WHO cut-offs level of
public health significance, whereas global acute malnutrition is close to that percent.
13
2.2.
Importance of agriculture sector and sub-sectors in the assessed region
The six regions assessed fall under different agro-ecological zones. Due to different soil and
climatic conditions, in each zone the rural population conduct diverse agricultural activities
resulting in dissimilar varieties of crop cultivated, type of livestock reared, means for
supporting livelihoods, etc. In addition to that, all six regions comprise both uni-modal and
bi-modal rainfalls areas which results in the possibility of conducting two agricultural seasons
“vuli and masika” in bi-modal areas and one “msimu” in the uni-modal ones.
14
Arusha, Dodoma, Mara, Shinyanga and a small part of Morogoro are mostly found in Arid
and Semi-Arid Land where maize together with sorghum and millet are considered the most
important cereal crop production, followed by paddy rice and cassava cultivations, which are
also considered important staple crops. Their importance differs from one area of production
to another, according to food preference and climate condition, including availability of water
(Figure 2).
11 Source: FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission to Tanzania (1998).
12 Source: FAOSTAT, 2014.
13 Source: Tanzania Nutritional Survey (2014).
14 These are two Swahili words meaning short and long term agricultural season respectively.