535
generate descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analysed using content
analysis. The financial returns analysis was conducted by considering the total
number of households under each water control, the total area cultivated, the total
investment and costs of inputs.
3 Research Findings
3.1 Characteristics of Respondents
The respondents interviewed consisted of 73% males and 27% females (Table 2).
All the respondents were adults, with the majority falling within the 36–50 (42.2%)
age category, followed by 18–35 (37.8%). Therefore, majority of the respondents
were within the active working age. As regards education, most of the respondents
had completed primary school education (69.6%) while only a few (6.7%) had gone
to secondary education. Also, 12.6% of the respondents had not received any formal
education while 11.1% were primary school dropouts. Therefore, the majority of
the people in the study villages had attained primary school education, and this is
not surprising, as in Tanzania, primary education is regarded as a basic right for
every citizen.
3.2 Household Assets
The results on household assets (Table 3) indicate differences in asset ownership
between the water controls. Overall, manual irrigators using manual pumps (e.g.
treadle, concrete pedal pumps and buckets) were found to own more assets. The
results show that majority of people using canal have their dwelling houses made
of cement and bricks, as compared to other water controls. Farmers who own
motor pumps but pumping from surface water have on average more land to cultivate (acreage), as compared to other water controls followed by rain-fed farming. In comparison, motor pump irrigators are able to operate larger farming
units than manual pump irrigators because it is less labour intensive, considering
the same farming strategies. Overall, one would have vividly expected to see
more assets ownership for motor pump irrigators than any other water control.
Surprisingly, that has not been the case following the increased price of fuel. The
survey period (2009–2010 season) coincided with the scarcity of fuel supply.
Demand for fuel increased during the survey period, while the supply went low,
leading to shooting up of fuel price. This was also echoed by farmers during the
interviews that the hiking fuel price was among the limiting factors on the use of
motor pumps.
Smallholder Farming in Mara and Iringa Regions, Tanzania: Current Practices…
generate descriptive statistics, and qualitative data were analysed using content
analysis. The financial returns analysis was conducted by considering the total
number of households under each water control, the total area cultivated, the total
investment and costs of inputs.
3 Research Findings
3.1 Characteristics of Respondents
The respondents interviewed consisted of 73% males and 27% females (Table 2).
All the respondents were adults, with the majority falling within the 36–50 (42.2%)
age category, followed by 18–35 (37.8%). Therefore, majority of the respondents
were within the active working age. As regards education, most of the respondents
had completed primary school education (69.6%) while only a few (6.7%) had gone
to secondary education. Also, 12.6% of the respondents had not received any formal
education while 11.1% were primary school dropouts. Therefore, the majority of
the people in the study villages had attained primary school education, and this is
not surprising, as in Tanzania, primary education is regarded as a basic right for
every citizen.
3.2 Household Assets
The results on household assets (Table 3) indicate differences in asset ownership
between the water controls. Overall, manual irrigators using manual pumps (e.g.
treadle, concrete pedal pumps and buckets) were found to own more assets. The
results show that majority of people using canal have their dwelling houses made
of cement and bricks, as compared to other water controls. Farmers who own
motor pumps but pumping from surface water have on average more land to cultivate (acreage), as compared to other water controls followed by rain-fed farming. In comparison, motor pump irrigators are able to operate larger farming
units than manual pump irrigators because it is less labour intensive, considering
the same farming strategies. Overall, one would have vividly expected to see
more assets ownership for motor pump irrigators than any other water control.
Surprisingly, that has not been the case following the increased price of fuel. The
survey period (2009–2010 season) coincided with the scarcity of fuel supply.
Demand for fuel increased during the survey period, while the supply went low,
leading to shooting up of fuel price. This was also echoed by farmers during the
interviews that the hiking fuel price was among the limiting factors on the use of
motor pumps.
Smallholder Farming in Mara and Iringa Regions, Tanzania: Current Practices…