Commercialisation Pathways and Climate Change: The Case of Smallholder Farmers in Semi-Arid Tanzania

The semi-arid drylands of central Tanzania have been characterised by low and erratic rainfall coupled with high evapotranspiration. Up until now, farmers of these local dryland farming systems have been able to cope with these climate conditions. However, climate change has led to new weather patterns that overwhelm traditional dryland farming practices and re-shape farmers’ commercialisation pathways. This paper explored the pathways in which smallholder farmers in Singida region in Tanzania engage with markets and commercialise in the face of climate change. The paper also examined how farm-level decisions on commercial crops and the commercialisation pathways they are part of, affect current and future resilience to climate change. Climate resilient commercialisation of smallholder dryland agriculture remains the centrepiece of inclusive sustainable development.

The role of farmer groups in the development of dryland farming in Ketos Village, Paranggupito Subdistrict, Wonogiri Regency

Farmer groups are play an important role in solving the farmers’ problems, especially about their farming activities. This study aims to find out the role of farmer groups in the development of dry land farming in Ketos Village using qualitative descriptive methods. The results showed that Ketos Village farmer groups conducted activities such as farmer deliberation, farmers group gathering, agricultural counselling, and gotong-royong. Based on these activities, Ketos Village farmer group is able to act as a learning class, production unit, and cooperation. Farmer group as a learning class is a farmer group as place that provides information needed by its members related to the issue of farming activities. Farmer group as a production unit means that farmer groups play a role in the provision of agricultural facilities and tools, especially subsidized seeds, and fertilizers. Farmer groups as a medium of cooperation is not only between internal groups but also for external. Then this role is able to help farmers’ activities in solving problems in dry land.