In the Population and Housing Census of 2012, Pwani region had a total of 1,098,668 people with 61.1 percent of the economically active population in the region depending on agriculture, livestock and fishing for subsistence and income. The agricultural sector generates much of the region’s GDP. However, this sector has been declining in its performance in the region due to several factors such as frequent use of inferior agricultural implements, the application of outdated agricultural methods, pest problems, soil exhaustion in some parts of the region and sometimes low purchasing power of the people tends to discourage the use of modern agricultural inputs or implements. In addition, marketing arrangements for most crops are inadequate coupled with poor transport system and lack of credit facilities for peasant farmers.
Distribution of Arable Land
Out of the region’s total land area of 3,240,700 ha, about 1,976,518 ha (61.0 percent of total area) are suitable for agricultural production and livestock rearing. However, the land currently under cultivation is only 495,389 ha, which is almost 25.1 percent of the arable land in the whole region. The remaining arable land which is 1,481,129 ha or 74.9 percent of the region’s total arable land is still idle or used for other activities such as human settlements, natural forests, etc. Moreover, by utilizing less than half (25.1 percent) of its total arable land, agriculture land in the region is not under pressure and still there is adequate arable land for crop farming. Furthermore, Bagamoyo district council had the largest share of region’s total arable land at 42.3 percent, followed by Rufiji district council (24.4 percent), Kisarawe (15.6 percent), Mkuranga (9.8 percent), Kibaha (6.5 percent) and Mafia district council (1.3 percent). Likewise, arable land already under crops cultivation, Mkuranga district council had the biggest share (36.8 percent of the region’s total arable land under cultivation). It was followed was Kisarawe district council (22.5 Percent), Rufiji (18.3 percent), Bagamoyo (11.3 percent), Kibaha (6.8 percent), and Mafia (4.4 percent).
Agricultural Inputs
Reducing rural poverty by delivering appropriate agricultural inputs and improving output markets for Tanzanian farmers are among the objectives of "Kilimo Kwanza" (Agriculture First) policy in Tanzania. In Kilimo Kwanza, priority is given to transforming traditional agriculture which depends on hand hoe to mechanized agriculture and improving agriculture extension services by employing more extension officers. Moreover, distribution of chemical fertilizers as well as establishing credit facilities for farmers, and setting up storage through a warehouse receipt system were introduced to reinforce crop production.
