After several decades of neglect, there is a renewed interest in the transformation of African agriculture; as persistent levels of poverty, rising populations and food prices, and the uncertainties of climate change all contribute to a potential future crisis for food security and a brake on economic development.
Improving the productivity and profitability of small-holder rice production is viewed as an important component of attempts to improve and develop agriculture in Tanzania, as well as to contribute to the reduction of poverty.
This dissertation explores the potential for small-scale irrigated rice production in Tanzania, and in particular it examines the profitability, productivity and sustainability of rice produced in large scale irrigation schemes, managed by co-operatives of small farmers. It does so through exploring the institutional management, the profitability and productivity of scheme members in the Dakawa Rice Farm.
Whilst the data suggests that USAID Feed the Future project inputs have helped farmers
improve their productivity; there are significant concerns in relation to the politics of the
farm operations, and the long-term profitability and sustainability of the scheme, relating to a range of internal and external factors. The two most crucial factors appear to be the increasing scarcity of water for irrigation and the market price that farmers can expect to
receive for their rice.