Challenges

The United Republic of Tanzania has maintained a relatively stable, high economic growth over the last decade, with a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of slightly over 7percent in 2018. However, the agricultural sector experiences growth that is lower than the overall economy and far below the desired target of at least 6 percent per annum. The agricultural growth rate has remained low, with an average increase of around 3 percent during the 2006–2016 period, which failed to meet the Tanzania Development Vision (TDV) 2025 targets that aim at poverty reduction and improved livelihoods. In view of the prevailing situation, the Government, in collaboration with its development partners, has aimed to revamp the agricultural sector, in particular the crops sub-sector. Notwithstanding efforts made by the Government to promote crop production and productivity, challenges remain in farmers’ access to productivity-enhancing technologies and services, value addition and reliable markets. This resulted in the failure of commodities to reach desired targets, as set out in the Agricultural Sector Development Programme.

Toward a Solution

The Tanzania-China Joint Program of Scaling-up Maize Labour Intensification System in Morogoro Region, or the ‘Double One Project’ (Qian Hu Wan Mu), aims at the effective interaction among four levels of governments, research institutions including universities, and target farmers to create situation-specific community development solutions that aim at improved maize productivity, incomes, food security and livelihoods. The solution aims to address Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 (No poverty), 2 (Zero hunger) and 7 (Affordable and clean energy). 

The Merit-based Public Management System (MPMS) for enhancing the performance of local agricultural staff was established, piloted, and underpinned by the introduction of performance-based incentives for extension officers. 

The ability of the regional government and district councils to support agricultural development in their areas of jurisdiction has been enhanced as a result of various capacity–building activities, such as training and effective communication through WeChat. In addition, linkages between central and local governments, universities and rural communities were strengthened. 

Appropriate low-cost/low-capital-input technologies were identified and introduced in target villages for adoption supported by participatory action research and farmer-centred training. 

Overall, results demonstrate that the Morogoro Project Management team, the seven participating District Councils, and the target beneficiaries efficiently utilized project funds from the China Agricultural University (CAU)/China Institute for South-South Cooperation in Agriculture (CISSCA), with almost a 100 percent achievement, leading to the full realization of project objectives. 

The project is effectively operational in all ten planned villages, with a coverage of 1,432 target farmers (around 72 percent achievement out of the planned 2,000 farmers) cultivating 1,432 acres (580 ha) (equivalent to 80 percent achievement against the overall target of 1,800 acres [729 ha], or 10,000 mu). The project that made use of the innovative MPMS and called for the strengthening of partnership among various key stakeholders, namely: universities, governments (central and local), research institutes and farmers and local communities. It emerged that the project contributed directly toward the realization of Tanzania’s Agriculture Sector Development Programme II (ASDP II) objective to improve productivity of priority commodity value chains, and in particular the maize crop. Additionally, implementation of the project was embedded in the local circumstances and socio-economic context, while emphasizing the use of locally available resources or inputs. 

Sustainability of project’s interventions has been ensured by making effective use of existing central and local government structures, systems and procedures, as well as ensuring that all the four levels of government discharge their duties diligently, underpinned by effective utilization of the MPMS. Additionally, sustainability of the project interventions was enhanced through the emphasis on using locally available resources and focusing on beneficiaries’ priority needs, constraints, opportunities and threats inherent in their socio-cultural, political and economic environment. The compatibility of project’s interventions with beneficiaries socio-cultural and economical systems has increased beneficiaries’ enthusiasm and enhanced ownership, and hence sustainability of interventions. 

Since the project has been effectively operational in all ten planned villages with a coverage of 1,432 target farmers, good practices can be extended more widely within Tanzania, in which there is an efficient management team with academic expertise consisting in stakeholders within the local government leadership. The key lessons learned can be summarized as follows for further possible replicability: