The impact of Ujamaa production on adoption of new farming practices: a case study of Morogoro district Ujamaa villages.
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Date
1977
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Tanzania is an agrarian country which depends mainly on agriculture* for its national development*
‘xo achieve rapid r^r'il development the government and party decided after gaining independence to embark on a villagizution policy wnich alias at bringing peasant farmers together in villages for co-operative vi’ocuetion using modern methods*The social ana uconomic environment in trie villages is expected w make introduction ana adoption of improved
farmin.':- teconicues easier*'jut v&ile the villagization programme is now von yearn old, conflicting views exist about les success in introducing new famine practices through coFununal px'oauction*
.‘Some people claim that government assistance channelled to villages in the form of agricultural inputs is a waste of resources since it is often not properly utilized* Meanwhile others claim that ujumaa villages have been successful in introducing new innovations on communal farms and
that cash inputs and mechanisation are in fact over utilized*This study therefore investigated the extent to which farming practices on individual and communal farms dil l er ana what factors account for this difference or the lack tnere off*A case study was made of five villages in Morogoro
District by interviewing village leaders, extension workers and randomly sampled farmers*The study specifically examined maize and cotton production practices*iv The study found that fanning practices on individual and co*-.puna?. plots diffni*, with ujarna village groups tending to follow j/ecommuncied faming practices.liaize production practices widely adopted by ujamaa groups
include: use of improved seed, monoculture, planting during uho long rains, row planting, thinning, ana application of insecticide*maize o?however, they failed to plantand to weed plots properly.
Cotton production nrac«ict.-c. followed by ujamaa groups includes correct spacing, thinning, ana insecticide spraying.They planted aua picked cotton late and failed to weed properly nnc to spray eight tines.Individual farmersplanted maize in the early s-iort rains, need Ilonga maize seed, intercropped uuine, thinned to three plants or not at all; did not use fertilizers and insecticide, and
harvested maize before it had dried properly. Nost individual cotton growers planted cotton early, followed correct spacing, thinned and weeded properly, picked cotton early and burnt cotton remains on time.They however failed to spray eight times.The difference in adoption of furain^ practices between individual and communal plots was found to be due to; free u.ovurmaent assistance to uJumna groups,labour availability (commitment), felt need of recommendations, group-decision making and village leadership, extension services, and force.Ujamua groups adopted recommended practices because of fx*ee inputs and to please government officials in order to continue receiving government assistance eventhough they were not convinced that the practices were sound. Government assistance is detrimental, leading to loss of self-reliance*The standard blanket rocommendations frequently are inappropriate and individual farmers refuse to adopt them because they conflict with traditions farming systems ano the local ecolo? ioal environment*Crucial operations ouch as planting, anc; ’.-.'codinG are ne£lectei on the cormunal plots because cf low commitinent by members to communal proc action, 1'eflecting the small return realized from rucn an erteirinjr.;instead concentrate on their individual plots.Members Lishonest anc. corrupt lenders at tiros ha.’j demoralized ~embers,leading to their abandoning the ccmr.unal farm.for work should be increased on Incentives comx-uual farm and village economic plans end leadership need to ba improved* >orce from local leaders has contributed tn adoption of recommended cotton practices by individual farmers, ana noct cotton recocurcndatioas have visible benefits*.■.ilt’ioujfh tl»e rrwericoL wbic?'. ere or. force;’ arc technically sound, .persuasion is a better policy to ..at sustained
acceptance. The extension services are geared towards cciacunal plots only, thus na^locting inci vidua?. farmers, j^xtension workers rarely visited individual plots except cotton plots grown in blocks. Village leaders and extension workers supervise various operations on tho communal
plots and practices used on the communal plots are decided by tho village agricultural sub-committee whoso members must ensure that the rcconuandationa are followed*Koanwhile individual fajenors are free to follow any precticss thay please.
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Socio-political institutions