In November 2012 and in August 2014 surveys
were carried out in field vegetable producing areas
in the Lake Zone of Tanzania. The areas visited
in 2012 were: (i) Kibeyo, Mugumu district, (ii)
Mogabiri, Tarime district, (iii) Nyabange, Musoma
rural district, (iv) Itumbili, Magu district, and (v)
Nyaholongo, Nyamatale and Kagera, Misungwi
district. In 2014, (i) Chamabanda, Sengerema
district, (ii) Iyogelo, Sengerema district, (iii)
Bugulula, Geita district, (iv) Kibwela, Geita district,
(v) Kiziba, Geita district and the vegetable market
in Bukoba town and a seed shop in Bukoba town
were visited.
The aim of the surveys was to learn the conditions
for field vegetable production and marketing in
these areas. Recommendations for the development
of vegetable production were formulated in order
to enlarge the supply of vegetable products and
secure a balanced nutrition for the rural and urban
population.
Field vegetable production in the Lake Zone area
is mostly small scale and rain dependent. A wide
variety of crops is cultivated and production itself
is professional. Production in the dry season is
limited by the availability of water, and when water
is available, by the amount of labour spend on hand
watering the crop. Most of the information on pest
and disease control is provided by the agro-dealers
where farmers buy their pesticides. Packaging of
products is at an elementary level. Marketing of
products is mainly local, to nearby villages and
towns and to the few larger cities in the Lake Zone
and occasionally to Kenya.
It is recommended to demonstrate and facilitate
the introduction of labour and water saving drip
irrigation techniques, to reduce the amount
of labour and water that is needed for crop
production, thereby making expansion of the
area under vegetable production in the dry season
possible. Where no water is available in the dry
season, the options of constructing bore holes
should be investigated. The supply of information
on effective pest and disease control, independent
from agro-dealers, is urgently needed to improve
pest and disease control and to avoid misuse of
pesticides.
Stimulation of vegetable production in the rural
areas will create employment. To secure future
production, conservation of the natural vegetation
is recommended to protect water catchment areas
and avoid regional climate change.