Growing hope in dry lands: A look at how Tanzania’s smallholder farmers thrive despite drought

Abstract

The occurrence and spread of droughts in recent years have limited productivity and resulted in food insecurity for most smallholder farmers. Though there are options for adopting drought resistant crops, the rates and level of adoption are questionable as many smallholder farmers still engage in their traditional ways of crop production. Therefore, this study examined determinants of smallholder farmers’ adoption of drought-resistant crops and the choice of adaptation strategies to drought in the Kishapu District. Using cross-sectional data obtained from 242 households. A probit model was used to examine the factors determining the adoption of drought-resistant crops while a multinomial logit model was used to examine the factors influencing the choices of drought adaptation strategies. Results show that household head age, distance from farm input markets, participation in village meetings, access to extension services, access to information, and access to credits are the influencing factors for drought-resistant crop adoption. On the other hand, household income, experience, distance from farm inputs, access to weather information, access to extension services, and gender were found to be significant factors influencing choices of adaptation strategies to drought and climate change in the study area. Therefore, proper and extensive farming extension services covering all age groups and relevant farming knowledge should be compulsory to increase smallholder farmers' adoption of drought-resistant crops. Also, establishing proper market channels is crucial for the input market, enabling communities to access inputs at the right time and at an affordable price.