Agricultural performance in Tanzania under structural adjustment programs: is it really so positive?

摘要

The performances in the food and cash crop sectors and the availability and consumption of agricultural inputs in Tanzania during structural adjustment programs (1986-1996) are compared with periods prior to this IMF/World Bank backed reform. The positive developments in the first five years of reform appear to be not sustainable. Presently productivity levels per rural capita for important food and cash crops are declining. There are no further improvements in the availability and consumption of agricultural inputs. The removal of subsidies on agricultural inputs from 1991 onwards is crucial in explaining the decline in maize production, the main food crop in Tanzania. Some assumptions behind the reform measures are proving to be wrong. Modifications are thus needed to improve the agricultural sector of Tanzania in a sustainable way. Structural adjustment programs usually go too far in reducing the role of the government. However, government involvement might be necessary to ensure a higher consumption of agricultural inputs and thus a better performance of the agricultural sector in Tanzania. A higher productivity in the agricultural sector is needed in Tanzania to avoid food security problems in the future.