Agriculture Productivity, Farm Input and Technologies
Situation Analysis
- Agriculture productivity is very low, e.g. yields for cereals, pulse and oilseed average 1.2 tons per hectare as compared to 3- 4 tons per hectare among peer countries in the region (Kenya, Uganda, Zambia)
- The 2019/20 Agriculture Census reveals that adoption of productivity-enhancing technologies among farmers has been very low, e.g. inorganic fertilizer (21%), improved seed (34%), pesticide (13%), irrigation (2.5%), tractor use (7%), visited by extension staff (7%)
- Despite Tanzania having the second largest livestock population in Africa, its contribution to GDP is only 7%
compared to peer countries in the region, e.g. Ethiopia (14%), Kenya (13%), and Uganda (12%) - Tanzania has relied on importation of fertilizer, seed, pesticide, feed ingredients, veterinary medicines
- Imported farm inputs are relatively expensive and without subsidy affordability to farmers is a challenge