Assay on Vegetable Production and Marketing in Zanzaibar Island, Tanzania
Abstract
Production of vegetables is a key factor in ensuring a continuous supply of raw materials for the development of agribusiness in horticulture. It is often argued that vegetable production in Zanzibar has reasonable advantages but the information regarding the commercial potential of local farmers in producing and retailing vegetables is limited. T he present work has assessed the situation of vegetable production and marketing in Zanzibar. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to gather the necessary information, including interviewer administered questionnaires, informal group discussions, field observations and key informant interviews. The study revealed that about 59% of the farmer’s population produces vegetables commercially, though only 30% to 35% of their yields are sold in market. It was also observed that out of 16 types of vegetables that were found to dominate the market, only 9typeswere produced profitably by the local farmers. In general , almost all vegetables encountered were imported from regional countries to fill the market demand gaps. It is recommended that both or (the) government and non -government organization should extend their supports to local vegetable farmers, through (by providing them with) information, technology, production inputs and credit as a means of improving the quality and the quantity of their yield.
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Introduction
Zanzibar is a small island with a population density of about 1.3 million with an annual growth rate of 2.8% (NPHC, 2012). Agriculture has continued to be a base to Zanzibar economy, providing food, and accounting for 31% of GDP, 70% for export and 70% of employment opportunities of the population principally in rural areas (OCGS, 2014). Agriculture sector however faces a number of challenge s, among others low productivity, seasonality, small plots, traditional farming, lack of viewing farming as a business, pests and diseases, limited access to inputs, reliance on middlemen who push the farmers’ profit down and unsuitability of growing many of the temperate crops in demand. The majority of farmers are subsistence, as most of them focus on growing enough food to feed themselves and their families.
Currently, it has been recognized that the market potential for vegetables in Zanzibar is absolutely high due to the increase in demand for vegetables through tourism sector; which accounts for almost 50% of the GDP ( OCGS, 2014).Along with this motive are rapid increase in population and changing food pattern of the population in Zanzibar ( Laurence, 2000 ). Tourism has become the major industry in the last 20 years, but Zanzibar farmers are scarcely benefitting from the estimated over 300,000 tourists that visit the island each year (OCGS 2014). About 80 % of the fresh vegetables consumed in the island s or supplied to the hotel industry are not from the island, the majority are imported from Tanzania mainland, Kenya and South Africa to meet the market needs (ITDP, 2002, Thembi, 2011) , despite the fact that such vegetables could be produced profitably in the islands. The present study was aimed to assess the status of vegetable production and marketing from local vegetable farmers in Zanzibar.
Conclusion
Growing vegetables for supplementing diets as well as income is an important activity that vegetable farmers from Zanzibar perform to play their part in agricultural production and for country development. However, the overall contributions of local farmers to the vegetables production pattern seemed to be insignificant (<25%),so far all vegetables were imported from regional countries to fill the local market demand.
To ensure that, the existing market gaps of vegetables are covered by local vegetable farmers, their outstanding and genuine constraints associated with production and marketing of vegetables must be alleviated, thus the following are very much recommended:
- Both Government and non -government organization should extend their supports to local vegetables farmers, by providing them with information, technology, production inputs and credit as a means of improving the quality and quantity of their yield. The vegetable farmers need a more effective and better -targeted agricultural extension service .
- The existing overall marketing channels should be updated by reducing number of intermediaries, thus reducing the gap between the unit income of the farmers and the market price
- Marketing contracts should be adopted, particularly with collectors (NGOs, major buyer ’slike hotels) to have secured markets and to maintain the future relationships with local vegetable farmers.
- Import restrictions of vegetables which can be produced locally should be recognized to create more opportunity to the local vegetable farmers.
