Browsing by Author "Massawe, Goodluck"

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    Smallholder rice farmers’ access to information in Tanzania: can agricultural marketing co-operative societies provide quality information?
    (Journal of Co-operative and Business Studies, 2023) Mauki, Consesa; Jeckoniah, John; Massawe, Goodluck
    Access to quality information plays a crucial role in enhancing the competitiveness of smallholder rice farmers in Tanzania. Agricultural co-operatives have the potential to overcome smallholder farmers’ information asymmetry. Yet, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding regarding the extent to which Agricultural Marketing Co-operative Societies (AMCOS) can effectively provide quality information to smallholder farmers as required by Co-operative Principle number five (Education, Training, and Information). This paper analyses the current level of access to information among smallholder rice farmers in AMCOS, evaluating the relevance, adequacy and reliability of information provided by AMCOS to its members and identifying the factors influencing the adequacy of the information provided by AMCOS. The study was conducted in Mvomero and Mbarali Districts. A cross- sectional research design was used and data were collected using a questionnaire that was administered to 382 randomly selected farmers based on registers availed by co-operative managers in three co-operatives. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) whereby ordinal logistic regression was used to estimate the influence of various factors on the adequacy of information obtained from AMCOS. The study found that 77.2% of farmers accessed information on rice agronomy. Smallholder rice farmers obtained adequate (52.6%), relevant (35.6%) and reliable (37.7%) information from their respective AMCOS. The adequacy of information was influenced by membership in social groups, access to rice agronomy information and financial information at p<0.05. It is concluded that agricultural co-operatives are potential platforms for providing quality information in enhancing smallholder rice farmers’ informed decision-making. The study recommends that efforts should be made to strengthen AMCOS by providing them with resources, training, and support to enhance their capacity to deliver accurate and timely information to farmers. This include collaboration with agricultural extension service providers and leveraging their networks to access up-to-date information on agronomic practices, weather forecasts, and market trends to enhance farmers’ competitiveness in rice farming.
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    Spatio-temporal analysis of changes in land use-land cover for conservation efficacy of urban forest reserve: the case of Rau Forest Reserve, Tanzania
    (East African Journal of Forestry & Agroforestry, 2022-12-01) Massawe, Goodluck; Abubakar, Ahmed; Sembosi, Solomon; Heita, Priscilla
    Changes in land use and land cover in different places around the globe have a significant impact on ecological structure and functions. Analysis of land use and land cover is useful in management activities, especially forest reserves as it reflects the interaction between adjacent communities and natural resources. We conducted a study to explore the changes in land use and land cover in the Rau Forest reserve to show the management status of this ecosystem which is also located in a nearby urban locality where management activities have been a challenge. The land use and cover (LULC) Spatio-temporal changes in the Rau Forest were classified as Densely Vegetation, Slightly Vegetation, Grassland, Bare land, Built-up, and Waterbodies to evaluate qualitative and quantitative changes in this reserve through the use of GIS techniques and tools over time (1990, 2000 and 2019). Landsat imageries for the year were used to identify the Spatio-temporal changes in vegetation in the area. We found that forest encroachment has driven changes in land use and land cover and transformed parts of the Rau Forest reserve into agricultural area settlements, and grazing lands which has ultimately led to gradual forest degradation. The results demonstrate the urgent need for strong and more severe regulations concerning the protecting the forest and involving local adjacent communities as they provide an extra layer of forest protection for the benefit of present and future generations.