Productivity of the agroforestry systems and its contribution to household income among farmers in Lushoto District, Tanzania

This paper investigates the productivity of the agroforestry systems and its contribution to household income among farmers in Lushoto District, Tanga, Tanzania. Specifically, the study aimed to determine and compare the level of household's farm production and net income between farmers practicing and not practicing agroforestry. A total of 134 respondents from four villages in Soni and Ubiri wards were involved. Data were collected using structured questionnaire, focus group discussion and through non-participant observation. Distribution of responses, central tendency and dispersion, and multiple linear regression analyses were carried using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) computer software. Results indicate that farmers practicing agroforestry had significantly higher contribution to the household's level of farm production and net income than those who were not practicing agroforestry. Given the average farm size of 3.1 ha, 2.3 cows and 9.2 chicken, the annual production for farmers practicing agroforestry was 425.9 kg for maize, beans 225.7 kg, coffee 101.1 kg, and 163.9 bunches of banana, 999.12 litres and 373.5 eggs compared to 342.6 kg of maize, 202.1 kg of beans, 75 kg of coffee, 108 bunches of banana, 1120.6 litres of milk and 338.6 eggs for farmers not practicing agroforestry. The average household annual net income was Tshs 664,992 and 547,608 for farmers practicing and not practicing agroforestry respectively. The income per capita was Tshs 100,756 for farmers practicing and Tshs 82,971 for farmers’ not practicing agroforestry. However, the level of household farm production and net income was generally lower compared to most findings from other agroforestry systems. There was partial adoption of the agroforestry technologies by some farmers (some households had few numbers of trees/shrubs for timber, fodder, fruits, firewood etc) and poor management which resulted from constraints like inadequate extension services, higher prices of most of the agricultural inputs, low soil fertility and unattractive producer prices. Therefore, overcoming these constraints could improve and probably sustain productivity of the agroforestry systems and its contribution to household income.