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Figure 6: Agricultural production zones in KilosaSource: Adapted from: (Kilosa District Council 2010)Maize is the main food crop grown in many areas, but is mainly cultivated in theNorth-western part. Rice is also an important food crop, mostly grown under rain-fedconditions in the flood plains, but is also to be found in small-scale irrigated ricefarms (Shishira, Yanda et al. 1997). Other important food crops include millet,cassava, beans, bananas and cowpeas (Kilosa District Council 2010). Besides foodcrops, main cash crops are sisal, cotton, coffee, wheat, cashew-nuts, coconuts, sugarcane and tobacco. Some of the food crops are however also used as cash crops wherethe surplus production is sold (or when there is an acute need for cash). In addition tofarming, a limited amount of inland fishing also takes place, for instance in pondsaround Zombo ward, where approximately 400 people are registered and licensed tofish. This is however mainly undertaken on a subsistence basis.The agricultural system is characterised by both small scale (about 90%) and largescalefarm holders (10%) where the average farmland is less than 1 hectare. Thesmall-scale farm holders are subsistence farmers who produce mostly for domesticuse, where only the surplus production is sold. There is a limited use of inputs such asimproved seeds, fertilizers and/or manure, and the majority (95%) use hand hoe forcultivation (Shishira, Yanda et al. 1997; Kilosa District Council 2010).Due to intensive production without the help of such agricultural input coupled withits climatic conditions, Kilosa District experiences a decline in soil fertility, where in75