Evaluation of Avocado Production and Export as a Source of Prosperity to Smallholder Farmers: A Case of Wanging’ombe District Mdandu Division, Tanzania

Abstract

This article is intended to assess the extent of avocado production and export as a source of prosperity for smallholder farmers in Wanging’ombe District, Njombe Region, Tanzania. The general objective of the study is to assess avocado production and export as a source of prosperity for smallholder farmers in Tanzania. The study was guided by absolute cost advantage theory and comparative cost advantage theory. With the use of the descriptive research design, the target population was small-scale farmers, employees from the OLIVADO industry, and Wards Extension Officers. 150 respondents from six wards in the Wanging'ombe area were chosen using simple random sampling and purposive sampling. The data collection methods used were questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups, and the analysis was conducted through quantitative methods. The findings show that many farmers in Waging’ombe district owned orchards of 1 to 5 acres only due to limited capital. This is because avocado cultivation strive well under commercial cultivation which needs high capital for purchasing quality propagates, fertilizers and agrochemicals which many farmers are unable to access, avocado farmers face significant production and export market challenges as a result of their lack of suitable farmer skills and knowledge, the primary marketing channel for avocado producers is wholesalers as Tanzania's northern region's export channel is fueling growth, the local market and, to a lesser extent, an export section is driving development in Southern Highlands and identified a low poverty rate amongst avocado growers which is a main indicator of a rising standard of living among avocado farmers. The study concluded that various agricultural institutions as well as the government have been participating and conducting various trainings to build the capacity of Waging’ombe avocado farmers as well as the distribution of fertilizers and quality seeds to produce crops with the required quality in the export market and thus find a market for exportation, increasing their income and reducing poverty in their areas. The study concluded that provision of education for international commercial terms for exporting agricultural products, increase subsidies to agricultural inputs, access to low-interest rate loans from financial institutions to support small avocado farmers, increase in whole sellers’ companies in the marketing channel to reduce bureaucracy, increase packaging quality of the avocado products, and improvement of infrastructure will be crucial to avocado farmers in Waging’ombe district.