Volume 2, Issue 2, June 2014, Pages 177–189
Solomon Mhango1, Ponsian Sewando2, and Rehema Magesa3
1 Assistant lecturer, Gender and Development Department, Community Development Training Institute (CDTI) – Tengeru, P.O. Box 1006, Arusha, Tanzania
2 Gender & Development and Project Planning & Management Departments, Community Development Training Institute (CDTI) – Tengeru, P.O. Box 1006, Arusha, Tanzania
3 Gender & Development and Project Planning & Management Departments, Community Development Training Institute (CDTI) – Tengeru, P.O. Box 1006, Arusha, Tanzania
Original language: English
Copyright © 2014 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Horticultural products including vegetables play potential role in generating employment and are frequently produced on small plots thus are important source of additional income for poor farmers in developing countries. Objectives of this study were to assess the contribution of urban vegetable production for livelihoods of the households, to assess the strategies used in urban vegetable production and identify factors that hinder urban vegetable production. A sample of 35 respondents was simple randomly selected from 9 wards of Morogoro Municipality. The study used an explanatory cross-sectional design in which data were collected at a single point in time. Semi-structured interviews were conducted whereby questionnaires with both closed and open ended questions were used to gather information. Observation was another method used for data collection. Collected data were analyzed by using SPSS computer analytical program. Research findings show that vegetable production in Morogoro urban contributes to generate income as well as for food security of the households. Also strategies used in producing vegetables include; intensification in vegetable production which is backed up by the use of means of improving soil fertility and pests and diseases control. It is concluded that, since majority of farmers rely on vegetable production then increased production in study area will contribute to improved people's livelihoods in terms of increased income, vegetable consumption and nutrition which will eventually contribute to improved health status. Therefore, there should be a review of present research-extension-farmers link to be more effective with a great attention that it provides knowledge, information and skills on vegetable products chain management to farmers.
Author Keywords: Urban agriculture, urban vegetable production, income generation, livelihood.
Solomon Mhango1, Ponsian Sewando2, and Rehema Magesa3
1 Assistant lecturer, Gender and Development Department, Community Development Training Institute (CDTI) – Tengeru, P.O. Box 1006, Arusha, Tanzania
2 Gender & Development and Project Planning & Management Departments, Community Development Training Institute (CDTI) – Tengeru, P.O. Box 1006, Arusha, Tanzania
3 Gender & Development and Project Planning & Management Departments, Community Development Training Institute (CDTI) – Tengeru, P.O. Box 1006, Arusha, Tanzania
Original language: English
Copyright © 2014 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
Horticultural products including vegetables play potential role in generating employment and are frequently produced on small plots thus are important source of additional income for poor farmers in developing countries. Objectives of this study were to assess the contribution of urban vegetable production for livelihoods of the households, to assess the strategies used in urban vegetable production and identify factors that hinder urban vegetable production. A sample of 35 respondents was simple randomly selected from 9 wards of Morogoro Municipality. The study used an explanatory cross-sectional design in which data were collected at a single point in time. Semi-structured interviews were conducted whereby questionnaires with both closed and open ended questions were used to gather information. Observation was another method used for data collection. Collected data were analyzed by using SPSS computer analytical program. Research findings show that vegetable production in Morogoro urban contributes to generate income as well as for food security of the households. Also strategies used in producing vegetables include; intensification in vegetable production which is backed up by the use of means of improving soil fertility and pests and diseases control. It is concluded that, since majority of farmers rely on vegetable production then increased production in study area will contribute to improved people's livelihoods in terms of increased income, vegetable consumption and nutrition which will eventually contribute to improved health status. Therefore, there should be a review of present research-extension-farmers link to be more effective with a great attention that it provides knowledge, information and skills on vegetable products chain management to farmers.
Author Keywords: Urban agriculture, urban vegetable production, income generation, livelihood.
How to Cite this Article
Solomon Mhango, Ponsian Sewando, and Rehema Magesa, “Urban vegetable production as a survival strategy in Tanzania: A case of Morogoro municipal,” International Journal of Innovation and Scientific Research, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 177–189, June 2014.
