WHILE civil society organisations advocate for land rights and secure tenure of small producers, it has come to light that in order to increase benefits from their activities they must fully participate in the entire value chain of the agriculture system. It is not enough for these producers to make a marked prominence only at some points of the value chain as this denies them opportunity to exploit benefits that come with land ownership and secure tenure. Advocacy groups should thus speak for small producers’ land rights and secure tenure as well as their opportunity to contribute adequately to the agricultural value chain.

“The value chain should begin with land ownership that is protected by secure tenure. Small producers must own land and participate in deciding how land is used. Their ownership rights must be protected and they must be involved in all other matters relating to land,” said Honest Mseri the Executive Director of Agricultural Non State Actors Forum (ANSAF). “Small producers who rent land to produce crops do not use extension services. They take minimum measures to sustain fertility and don’t really care about sustainable land quality because they don’t own the land and so they don’t place their future on it. This excludes them from benefiting from the agricultural value chain.” he added. He was speaking at the National Land Forum 2024 and 30th Anniversary of HakiArdhi that was conducted in Bagamoyo recently.

Currently some villages have started issuing land to youth group offering between 5 and 15 hectares depending on the type of crops they want to grow. Yet it is important that certification of land for the youth must be undertaken in order to provide evidence of ownership and security of tenure and enable the youth to participate fully in the entire agricultural value chain.

Small producers must take part in activities that add value to their products, which means they should take actions that improve a product and reach out to processors and markets. It is not just about production but the flow of products, knowledge and information, finance and the social capital needed to organize producers and communities are what make a value chain.

“We are talking about productivity and quality and variety of crops produced. We are talking about markets for products and that producers should link to markets directly instead of using middlemen or argents,” explained Richard Msandika from Muungano wa Vikundi vya Wakulima Arusha (MVIWAARUSHA).

Participation of small producers in the agricultural value chain should be catalyzed by reliable access to markets since strong value chains boost productivity, increase incomes and strengthen food security. In the long run small producers could expand their profits from multiple potential markets. 

However there are obstacles that must be removed before farmers can exploit available market potential. They include poor seeds and varieties that may not be appropriate for various uses. There is also poor quality of products during harvesting depicted by inconsistent size and colour, among other things. There is also inadequate threshing techniques, postharvest drying and storage as well as grading which reduce quantity and market quality. The huddles also include insufficient communication with markets regarding varieties and quality. Small producers also have insufficient training in accessing finance for post-harvest management. All these have an impact on the participation of small producers in the agricultural value chain.

But small producers must also have adequate knowledge of the country’s land laws and policies so that they may be able to suggest amendment or review where they find such laws and policies deny them participation in the value chain.  “When we talk about training small producers, we should also think of raising their awareness and understanding of various legislation and policies as these give direction of their participation. Additionally they should be trained in production of specific crops like rice, maize coffee or horticulture. This will go a long way towards raising quantity and quality of such crops,” said Alex Urio, a representative from Muungano wa Vikundi vya Wakulima Kilimanjaro (MVIWAKI). He added that small producers must have access to appropriate value addition technology for their crops. “If the crops pass through a quality process of value addition, then it is most likely that the products will fetch a good price in the market and thus raise incomes for small producers”.

However, there was concern that while Tanzania’s land laws and policies are good and could cater for inclusive participation of small producers in the value chain, there is weak implementation such that the same deny small producers opportunities to benefit from the value chain. “Implementation of land laws and policies is not government priority as it does not allocate adequate funding for the purpose. Most of the implementation is undertaken as projects which are funded by donors and development partners and such projects lack sustainability and provide little room for participation of small producers,” explained Godfrey Massay, Landesa Country Director. He also questioned the tedious process of accessing land by the youth noting that the system only serves to discourage them from acquiring land and participating in the agricultural value chain. “They youth are required to form groups in order to be given land. The groups must draw a constitution then the group must be registered and then begin the process to look for funding. This long process does not attract the participation of youth, it frustrates them. Their ambitions to own land and participate in the value chain are thwarted,” he said. 

The Forum also discussed the issue of maintaining soil fertility and raising production and productivity for food security as well as income generation for small producers and called for scaling up of extension services so as to reach many small producers. When it comes to maintaining soil fertility small producers should be encouraged to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers. These affect soil quality and subsequently, the quality of products. They should instead turn to organic fertilizers or manure that is readily available in their locations. Extension services should train producers in agro-ecology which maintains soil fertility and where these services are offered by non-state actors (NGOs) these must be coordinated in order to reduce wastage of resources, overlapping activities and raise impact on the beneficiaries.

Climate change has led to uncertainty in agricultural production. Small producers are often not sure of the quantity or the quality of the crops they will produce. Severe drought, flash floods and unpredictable seasons have all impacted production. Producers must be trained to undertake adaptation measures and practice climate smart agriculture if they are to benefit from their participation in the agricultural value chain.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) says that strong value chains and better access to markets allow small producers to reliably sell more quality produce at higher prices. However, small producers are often involved in informal value chains, which can limit them to low-quality products, low prices, and low returns. To help small producers, it's important to integrate them into more modern value chains. 

When farmers get a good price for their produce, they are encouraged to invest in their businesses and increase the quantity, quality and diversity of their produce. This helps them earn more, ensuring their families’ food security and building their economic resilience to withstand setbacks. “By participating in rural value chains, young people can look forward to better livelihoods for themselves and their communities,” says IFAD in one of its publications.
There are many reasons why small-scale farmers do not or cannot participate in more lucrative value chains. They may be far from a market and transport costs may be high. Some may have limited business skills or are not part of an organization to pool their resources. “Improving agricultural value chains can really make a difference for small-holder farmers and thus also for global food security,” says IFAD.