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Economics of Mono-Cropping and Agroforestry Systems in Tanzania.

Chiwindo, Privata Simon
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1469175239

Abstract Details

2016, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Agricultural, Environmental and Developmental Economics.
Farmers in Tanzania are limited resource producers with small acreage dedicated primarily to maize. Production of this crop is natural for farmers because maize is a stable that is consumed daily by almost all Tanzanians. Yet, farmers struggle to increase their incomes from maize production because of land constraints. With an average farm size of just two hectares and almost no opportunities for farmers to purchase additional land, farmers must explore other options to increase their farm income. One option that is explored extensively in this research is agroforestry. Described generally, this method of farming allows farmers to add fruit trees around the perimeters of their farms, intersperse trees within maize crops, or add them in separate but side-by-side plots. Whatever method is used, farmers must exercise care to avoid overshadowing and stunting the growth of maize. Based on survey data gathered from farmers, four fruit crops offer strong income-generating opportunities for maize farmers. These crops are: bananas, coconuts, mangoes and pineapples. A key difference among these four fruits is that bananas and pineapples bear fruit annually, whereas coconuts and mangoes are defined by a 5-year lag between planting and first harvest. These conditions mean that farmers must define their rate of time preference for income and also assess the risk and uncertainty associated with each fruit crop. Using the knowledge that maize producers generally receive one of three levels of production from their farms, this researcher analyzed benefits and costs farmers can expect to receive from combining maximum fruit production with all possible levels of maize production. Although agroforestry methods varied from inter-cropping to twinning cultivation and twinning agroforestry, each method allowed for a direct comparisons of benefits and costs for each crop combination. Relative to inter-cropping, benefit-costs calculations showed that maize and coconuts are more profitable for farmers than maize and mangoes. By definition, bananas and pineapples are not inter-cropped because they yield annual fruit. With respect to twinning agroforestry, mangoes produced together with maize are shown to be more profitable than maize and coconuts. Yet, farmers express a stronger preference for maize and coconuts and this preference function suggests that there are factors that go into farmers’ decision-making that may not be observable to researchers. For example, farmers may associate a higher degree of risk and uncertainty to the 5-year time lag between planting and harvest for pineapples than they do to the 5-years lag for coconuts. Keywords: Mono-cropping system, inter-cropping agroforestry system, twinning agroforestry system, and twinning cultivation.
Eugene Jones (Advisor)
Joyce Chen (Committee Member)
102 p.
Agricultural Economics
Tanzania, economics, mon-cropping, agroforestry

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Chiwindo, P. S. (2016). Economics of Mono-Cropping and Agroforestry Systems in Tanzania. [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1469175239

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Chiwindo, Privata. Economics of Mono-Cropping and Agroforestry Systems in Tanzania. 2016. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1469175239.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Chiwindo, Privata. "Economics of Mono-Cropping and Agroforestry Systems in Tanzania." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1469175239

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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