Abstract:
A study was conducted to assess the adoption and scaling-up of Conservation Agriculture in Arumeru
district, Arusha region, northern Tanzania and Chamwino and Dodoma Urban districts in
Dodoma region, Central Tanzania. The study employed structured questionnaire survey and key
informant interviews as the main data collection methods. Data analysis was done descriptively to
determine factors that influence the adoption. Results showed that farmers in Arusha have highly
adopted terraces, minimum tillage and cover cropping whereas their counterparts in Dodoma
have highly adopted large planting pits, minimum tillage, and rippers. The intensity of adoption in
Arusha is higher for the wealthy compared to the poor while in Dodoma the wealth status was not
a factor that influenced adoption of the Conservation Agriculture (CA) technologies. The process of
technology adoption should include the use of various participatory methods including farmer
field schools, experimental plots, farmer exchange visits, and training of trainers among others.
Use of farmer groups, incentives, and support instruments such as Savings and Credit Co-operative
Society (SACCOS) or warehouse receipts systems are also important to ensure that farmers realize
some acceptable profits from their efforts. Involvement of various stakeholders is also very important
including local governments and agricultural change agents at national, regional, district,
ward and village levels. Hence, the intention to promote CA technologies should not only look at
the economic importance, but also its socio-economic importance to the local people in the area.
Their desire to adopt and out-scale a technology should be among the most important investment
factors that the government and development partners should consider.
