The Challenges of Research in Improving Agricultural Productivity in Tanzania

Abstract

Agriculture accounts for about half of the national income, three quarters of merchandise exports, and is a source of livelihood for about 80 percent of Tanzanians. It has high linkages with the non-farm sector through forward linkages to agro-processing, consumption and exports. Trends in poverty reduction are highly dependent on the growth of agriculture and related rural non-agricultural activities. The performance of this sector has not been impressive in recent years. Agricultural GDP has grown at 3.3 percent per year since 1985, the six main food crops at 3.5 percent and export crops at 5.4 percent per year. Other components such as livestock and forestry have recorded lower growth rates. Considering that the overall GDP growth target for halving abject poverty by 2010 is in the range of 6- 7 percent, this performance falls short of the needed growth. The challenges of research in improving agricultural productivity in Tanzanian relate directly to the constraints or impediments facing the sector. They include: