ASSESSMENT OF SMALL HOLDER FARMER’S SUCCESS THROUGH ADOPTION OF BIO INTENSIVE FARMING: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM MARANGU EAST, TANZANIA

Kitala Christian Tobias Malamsha (PhD) ¹

Senior Lecturer, Moshi Co-operative University,

Faculty of Co-operative and Community Development,

Department of Economics and Statistics,

P.O. BOX 474, Moshi, Tanzania,

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Brown Wilbroad Mamuya (MA) ²

Agricultural Marketing Practitioner,

Self Employed Businessman,

P.O. BOX 6637, Moshi, Tanzania.

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CITATION: Malamsha, K., C., T. & Mamuya, B., W. (2016) Assessment of Small Holder Farmer’s Success Through Adoption of Bio Intensive Farming: Empirical Evidence from Marangu East, Tanzania. International Journal of Arts and Entrepreneurship. Vol 5(10) pp 75-93.

ABSTRACT

Small holder farmer’s success in terms of conducting profit maximized agriculture and meets the household basic needs remained inadequate in Tanzania. Such inadequacy of success is a result of practicing traditional farming by smallholder farmers which not only decreases yield, but also it decreases their income. Bio-intensive farming uses minimal inputs with expectation of high quality outputs and this enhances income to smallholder farmers through high prices for their products and hence smallholder farmer’s success. The establishment of the factors influencing adoption of bio intensive farming among smallholder farmers and evaluation of smallholder farmer’s success remains silent. That was a knowledge gap on which the research for this paper focused. The study was intended to assess smallholder farmer’s success through adopting bio intensive farming. The specific objectives were to examine factors influencing adoption of bio intensive farming and evaluate smallholder farmer’s success through adopting bio intensive farming. Primary data were collected using interview guides which were administered to 72 smallholder farmers in Marangu East ward, Tanzania. Descriptive statistics were used. Five factors which influence adoption of bio intensive farming were established. The factors were lack of money to buy inputs; availability of better markets; limited access to land; peer pressure and environmental and soil conservation. The evaluation of smallholder farmer’s success for adoption of bio intensive farming was that there was positive change in achievement of basic needs by smallholder farmers. Specifically 83.3% of smallholder farmers who adopted bio intensive farming experienced improvement in access to basic needs. Smallholder farmer’s ability to meet schools expenses was increased to from 11.1% to 72.2%. The ability of households for 84.7 % of smallholder farmers in eating vegetables was increased and finally income of the farmers was increased. It is argued that bio intensive farming should be adopted by smallholder farmers in Tanzania.

Key words: Bio intensive farming, Success, Smallholder farmers, Smallholder farmer’s success, household basic needs

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