Understanding the Magnitude of the Risk Factors Affecting Small Scale Horticulture Farming in Southern Highlands: Experience from Kilolo District
This study was undertaken to understand the magnitude of the risk factors affecting small-scale horticulture farming in southern highlands. The study was determined to investigate the magnitude of the risk factors that affect the effective utilization of horticulture production potentials in the Kilolo District. Mixed method analysis was applied such that quantitative data were summarized using summary statistics (frequencies and percentages) with the aid of Microsoft excel software system and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The qualitative data was analysed using content analysis. Results revealed major four factors impeding the fast growth of the horticulture sub-sector. These factors include marketing-related factors ranked high (31%) followed by production risk factors (27%), transport and products handling factors (22%) and the fourth impediment was processing risk factors where 18% of overall surveyed respondents disclosed this constraint. The study concluded that the persistence of horticulture production risk factors in the study area appear to threaten the efforts made by small-scale horticulture producers in their struggle to alleviate poverty through the intensification of horticulture crop production. Given this conclusion, it is thus recommended that further scientific studies should be directed towards investigating the appropriate responses to such risk factors hampering horticulture production in major producing zones in Tanzania.
Keywords: Horticulture production, Horticulture production risk factors, the magnitude of the risk factors, Southern Highland of Tanzania.
