Abstract:
This study examines the changing farming environment among the
smallholder farmers in Tanzania under the ongoing world-wide economic
reform measures. Various economic reform measures being implemented
have far-reaching effects on farming behaviour.
Small farmers have increasingly done away with the production of the
traditional export crops and instead have shifted to the product of quickselling crops such as vegetables and paddy. It was observed that most
farmers are facing serious economic hardships. To cope with this difficult
situation. they have turned to the use of easily available supply of manure,
seeds and chemicals. There is also environmental degradation due to landclearing for fuel, farming and building materials.
Liberalization of agricultural marketing has also had serious repercussions.
Farmers are unable to obtain credit for farm inputs. This is partly due to the marketing cooperatives' failure to compete with other buyers. Already
cooperatives have lost market share for food crops to private traders/dealers.
Farmers specializing in paddy production under controlled irrigation
practices have better prospect than others. Their income has increased. This
situation has attracted civil servants to 20 back for farming.
