Tanzania

TANZANIA is a large country between Kenya and Mozambique in eastern Africa, facing the Indian Ocean. The population was 32.8 million in 1999. The total area is about 1 million km², including some offshore islands. It consists of plains along the coast where rice is grown, a large central plateau separating the rift valleys, and highlands in the north and south. Three percent of the land is arable. The economy is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for 48% of the GDP, provides 85% of exports, and occupies 90% of the workforce.

General information

• GNI per capita PPP$, 2000: 520
• Internal renewable water resources: 80 km³
• Incoming water flow: 9 km³
• Main food consumed: maize, roots and tubers, rice, pulses, oil and fat
• Rice consumption, 1999: 14.3 kg milled rice per person per year

Production constraints
The major constraints to sustainable rice production in Tanzania are

• Drought in upland areas and drought and flash flood in rainfed lowland (or inland swamp) areas because of irregular weather
• Infestation of red rice in the irrigated schemes
• Inadequate and irregular input supplies: seeds, fertilizer, and credit
• Lack of small farm equipment, especially for postharvest operations
• Lack of effective farmers' organizations and cooperatives
• Poor maintenance of irrigation facilities
• Lack of a well-defined rice policy
• Poor road networks and marketing systems
• Labor shortage because of competition from other crops
• Weak research and extension support

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