Exploring factors affecting agricultural productivity in Tanzania

Abstract

Change in climate becomes as much as big challenge indifferent sectors including the agriculture to the whole world and mostly to the countries with small economy (developing and mid income countries) this happen because there some factors that drawback the improvement of this sector like government support, financial problems, and skills of using improved agricultural techniques. Tanzania as a developing country faces the same problem which hinders even the growth of the economy by considering that agriculture is the major economic activity and employs many people. The government of Tanzania has been tried to push this sector through different ways but still is not performing better as farmers depend on whether condition which mostly keeps on changing these days due to increase of human activities that pollute the environments and have adverse effects to the ozone layer and cause climate change. Therefore, this study aims at identifying better strategies (adaptation factors) for the challenges caused by climate change towards the agricultural productivity as drawbacks of Tanzania’s economy. The study has been conducted quantitatively while a random sampling method to get respondents has been used and primary data have been collected through a survey that is distributed online by using Qualtrics. The data analyzed by using simple linear regression and techniques like the use of irrigation systems, crop diversifications, greenhouse farming, and crop rotation identified to help in improving this sector. To adopt these techniques if difficult for the farmers as they need huge capital while most of the farmers in Tanzania are poor but, the government can help through different measures like policies, subsidies, and loans to the farmers. Hence, this study provides advice to the farmers, government, and NGOs concerning the better method to address this problem as well as to give the theory that change in weather condition does not always lead to a decrease in agricultural productivity but there techniques that can help to improve the agriculture sector by considering the social, economic, and geographic conditions of Tanzania.