Conservation agriculture Tanzania_casestudy.pdf - Sokoine ...

Lack of information and knowledge about existing technologies that can improveagricultural production and conserve the environment at the same time is an issue.There have been frequent droughts, which have affected crop production, particularlywhere land is degraded. Strong easterly to south-easterly winds near the end of the dryseason contribute significantly to erosion where soils are exposed, particularly thosewith very fine and light particles (Meindertsman and Kessler 1997; COPEC 2003).All the problems mentioned above call for comprehensive measures to tacklethem together—that is, environmental conservation integrated with agriculturaldevelopment will lead to sustainable husbandry practices.6 Institutional initiatives in soil and waterconservationKaratu District OfficeAchievements: The District Agriculture and Livestock Development Office(DALDO) some time ago put in place measures to conserve soil and water inselected areas of the Karatu highlands. Under the Department of Land Use andAgromechanization, DALDO has coordinated numerous activities such as treeplantingprogrammes, agroforestry (improved fallowing, trees around homesteadsand along boundaries and contours) and organic farming (URT 2004b). Underthe Conservation Tillage Project (CTP), which was a pilot project under theNational Livestock Extension Project, NALEP, the following activities were carriedout: promotion of a technical package for obligatory construction of contours,draught-animal power ripping, use of farmyard manure, specific row spacing, useof chemical fertilizer and weeding. In 1996, SARI with the support of GTZ startedsubsoiling services under reduced tillage. Predominantly at ward level, extensionagents played an important advisory and technical supporting role in differentagricultural and conservation activities. They provided extension services andnecessary follow-up to promote use of fertilizers, improved seed, improved breedsof dairy cows, improved milk processing, and use of contours and trees, cover cropsand leguminous species. Farmers have continued to apply most of these practiceseven after the projects involved in their introduction ended.Gaps and challenges: Extension services at the district level have been limited fora number of reasons including inadequate and irregular government funds togetherwith unreliable transport. In addition, extensionists are generally poorly motivatedand often overwhelmed by their professional mandate. This is compounded by thedifficulty in accessing rough terrain over large operational areas (a ward may havemore than three villages and more than 1500 households).The agricultural district office had only one computer, which was stolen with allthe data; hence following up of some coordination issues and writing reports wasmade more difficult.Karatu District 71