| Oil seeds |
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Oil seeds production in Mbeya region is increasingly becoming important. For the past five years about 8,000 Ha. have been under oil seeds production each year. By the year 2000, oilseeds production is expected to expand to 12,000 Ha. Food production in Mbeya region has to a large extent been also supplemented by the produce from the state farms as shown in Table XXII
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| Rice |
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Production of rice in Kapunga State Farm in 1990/91 was 2 percent of the overall rice production in Mbeya region. The percentage share increased to 9 percent in 1994/95 season. While rice production in Mbarali in 1990/91 was 10 percent of the total production in the region. Unlike the Kapunga percentage share which increased in 1994, Mbarali percentage share in rice production fell to only 7.
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| Cash crops |
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Mbeya region is one of the most important cash crops producer in Tanzania. The region produces over 12,000 tons of coffee, representing about 21 percent of total National coffee production. It produces also 1,800 tons of pyrethrum, equivalent to 48 percent of the National production. Similarly Mbeya region produces 35 percent of tea produced in the whole country. Tobacco and cotton are also produced to the tun of 1,000 tons and 6,000 tons respectively yearly. Table XXIII below shows production trend in major cash crops in the region. |
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| Coffee |
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Coffee is one of the major cash crops grown in Mbeya region especially in Mbeya, Mbozi, Rungwe and Ileje districts. About 4,000 Ha. have been under coffee for the past five years. Average production of 0.4 tons of coffee per Ha. has been the trend compared with maximum yield of 1.0 ton/Ha. while the average annual production has been about 12,000 tons. Productivity per Has. still needs to be improved.
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Production levels for coffee have been rising and falling over the years. For instance in 1990/91 season it was 16,996 tons, in 1991/92 it was only 14,694 tons, while in 1993/94 it rose to 17,954 tons, but fell again to 17,709 tons in 1994/95. |
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| Tobacco |
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Another cash crop mainly grown in Chunya is tobacco and covers an area of about 1,500 Ha. Tobacco annual produuction is 1,000 tons with an average yield of 0.6 ton/Ha. Production levels have been marginally increasing as shown in Table XXIII between 1990/91 and 1994/95. |
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| Tea |
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Tea is among traditional cash crops grown in large scale in Mbeya region. Most of the tea estates are private. About 5,535 Ha. are under tea production, with a yield of 3,500 tons per annum. The average yield per tree has been 0.6 kgs, which appears to be much lower than the standard of 3 kgs per tree. However, some of the Private Tea Estates have 50 managed to raise productivity to 2.0 kgs per tree. Like other cash crops, the production levels of tea also fluctuates as indicated by able XXIII. |
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| Pyrethrum |
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Pyrethrum also thrives well in Mbeya region and it is planted in an area almost covering about 2,500 Ha. of land. It's roduction however, has continued to decline over the years (1990/91 - 1994/95). Pyrethrum production in Mbeya declined by 60 percent from 4,427 tons in 1990/91 to only 1976 tons in 1994/95.
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| Cotton |
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It is a prominent cash crop grown in Chunya District and some few areas of Mbeya (Madibira). The crop covers an area of 5,500 Ha. with annual average production of 6,000 tons. Table XXIII shows production of cotton in tons between 1990/91 and 1994/95.
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| Cocoa |
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Cocoa is increasingly becoming an important cash crop in Kyela and Rungwe Districts. The area under Cocoa has increased from 5,022 Ha. in 1990/91 to 5,790 Ha. in 1994/95. However, production per unit still remains low - at 0.6 ton/ha. Table XXIII highlights production levels of cocoa between 1990/91 and 1994/95. |
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