Agroforestry in Tanzania by RPCV Kevin Lombard
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Agroforestry in Tanzania by RPCV Kevin Lombard
Agroforestry in Tanzania by RPCV Kevin Lombard
Agroforestry in Tanzania by RPCV Kevin Lombard
What is agroforestry? Agroforestry systems involve a deliberate association of woody perennials (trees and shrubs) with annual crops, livestock, or other biological components of a productive land-use system (Kidd and Pimentel, 1992).
Agroforestry can play an important role in developing countries. Trees and forest products are of vital importance to gaining a better quality of living and impact everyday life in these countries.
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Tanzania is a country about the size of Texas and Oklahoma combined located in Eastern Africa just below the equator in the southern hemisphere. It is a country rich in cultural diversity with over 100 tribes, and natural resources with varied climates and topography.
In Tanzania, similar to many countries in tropical climates, forest products are consumed in a variety of ways. Forest products yield food such as citrus (oranges, tangerines, lemons and limes), mango, coconut, palm oil, apples and Jackfruit. Trees can be of medicinal use such as Azaderactica indica (Neam) - a tree now being used to produce a treatment for Malaria. Trees such as Lueciana sp. can be used for cattle feed. Trees yield building supplies for houses and boats and provide shade to banana and coffee farms.
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NEWLY CONSTRUCTED BOAT FOR USE
ON LAKE VICTORIA, TANZANIA
Forest products often provide the only source of fuel for cooking in developing countries. At present about 90% of the poor in developing countries use biomass for fuel, and most of this biomass is in the form of fuelwood (Chatterji, 1981). The use of electricity or kerosene may be found in some areas but for many it is simply too expensive or not available. Kuni (the Swahili word for firewood) and charcoal produced from felled trees are widely used throughout Tanzania for cooking. Fishermen on Lake Victoria use firewood for smoking methods of fish preservation due to the lack of abundant refrigeration facilities ensuring that their product will get to market without spoil.
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FISHING VILLAGE, LAKE VICTORIA
(NOTE FIREWOOD IN BACKGROUND FOR SMOKING FISH)
Gathering firewood or buying charcoal or firewood from persons clearing the natural forest is a fact of life for many. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) studies suggest that 70% of those who depend on fuelwood to meet a major part of their household energy needs, are cutting wood faster than it is growing back (FAO, 1983). Already there are parts of Tanzania where people walk for miles or dig for the roots of where a forest once stood to obtain firewood for cooking. Pressures on natural forests through human encroachment are overwhelming the ability of these forests to rejuvenate in some areas.
This is the challenge being faced by the Department of Forestry in Tanzania (as well as forestry departments around the world): how to change cultural practices and provide people with renewable resources so destruction of natural forests can be curtailed.
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TREE PLANTING ABOVE LAKE TANGANYIKA, TANZANIA (near Kigoma)
Kagera Fisheries Project
The news isn't all bad in Tanzania. Forestry projects around the country are making some impacts into these problems. The Kagera Fisheries Project, was started by the Tanzanian Department of Natural Resources in cooperation with FAO and Danida under the direction of Rod Beare. This project was modeled on a similar project located in Kigoma on Lake Tanganyika. Begun in 1991 and based out of Bukoba on the western shores of Lake Victoria, the Kagera Fisheries Project set out to improve fishing practices and markets for fresh and processed fish among peasant fisherman in the region.
Forestry activities
A forestry element was added to address the issues of deforestation associated with preservation of fish catches by smoking methods. Two tree nurseries were set up: one in the northern part of Kagera region in the port town of Bukoba, and the other being located in the southern part of Kagera region in the port town of Nyimberembe (since privatized in 1995) (See Map). Between 1992 and 1994, over 100,000 seedlings were distributed to local fisherman or sold to the interested general public! A very successful coconut nursery was added in 1993. Today the project is still in operation with the forestry section having essentially been privatized and self sufficient.
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Objectives of the Project's Tree Seedling Nurseries
The Tanzanian Department of Natural Resources in cooperation with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and Danida began the Kagera Fisheries Project in 1991on the western shores of Lake Victoria. A forestry element was added to address the issues of deforestation associated with preservation of fish catches by smoking methods.
Trees from these nurseries were grown from seed, then distributed as seedlings to local fisherman or sold to the interested general public. Below is an overview of common nursery operations practiced in Tanzania which were utilized on the project.
Nursery Operation Overview
Nursery operations are standardized and set up much the same as found in places like the U.S. with appropriate technology being substituted.
Planting media
Planting media usually consists of a mixture of:
* forest topsoil
* sand
* decomposed cow manure.
These were gathered separately and delivered to the nursery. Each component of the media was sifted to remove any rocks, clods or large debris. Sifted manure, topsoil and sand are then mixed in varied parts.
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SIFTING COMPONENTS OF THE GROWING MEDIA
TO REMOVE LARGE DEBRIS
Pot filling
Polyethylene tubing is widely used in Tanzania because of its inexpensive cost. Tubing comes in rolls and is cut into about 5" sections. "Poly pots" are then filled with planting media and arranged into blocks of 100 in rows (making counting and selling easier).
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AFTER FILLING "POLY POT" WITH GROWING MEDIA,
POTS ARE COUNTED AND ARRANGED
Seed sowing and other operations
After being arranged, poly pots are direct sown with seed. Although a few seed banks exist in Tanzania to purchase seed, it is common to gather seed locally to ensure a greater percentage of germination. Water was frequently applied (sometimes twice a day). To prevent rooting into the bare ground beneath the poly pots, a program of root pruning was established. Root pruning entails lifting pots and slicing the emerging roots from the bottom with a sharp knife. After reaching a height of approximately 1.5 - 2 feet (.5 meters), seedlings were distributed.
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ROOT PRUNING (LEFT) AND WATERING (RIGHT) IN THE NURSERY
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ALWAYS WATERING!
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GRAFTING FRUIT TREES
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GATHERING COW MANURE FOR USE IN THE NURSERY
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CUTTING POLYETHYLENE TUBING TO MAKE "POLY POTS"
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ARRANGING POLY POTS
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the.gif (1711 bytes) Rapid growth occurs with many tree species cultivated in the tropics. This is encouraging if you are a forester interested in getting trees established quickly to serve their intended purpose. It is also encouraging to know that once people everywhere get into the habit of planting trees, they can have an endless renewable resource no longer encumbered by having to gather firewood, buy building materials or destroy natural forest for charcoal production.
Below are a few examples of trees in Bukoba, Tanzania that were planted in 1992.
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TEAK (Tectonis grandis) FOUR YEARS AFTER
PLANTING FROM SEEDLINGS (left).
EUCALYPTUS (E. saligna) FIVE YEARS AFTER
PLANTING FROM SEEDLING (right).
Pictures taken 1997.
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COCONUT PALM INTERCROPPED WITH MAIZE, NYAKAKALANGO FISHING VILLAGE, LAKE VICTORIA.
Planted 1993
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COCONUT PALM (left), AND
CLOSE-UP (right).
NYAKAKALANGO FISHING VILLAGE,
LAKE VICTORIA.
Planted 1993. Picture taken 1996.
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Grevillea robusta. NYAKAKALANGO FISHING VILLAGE, LAKE VICTORIA.
Planted 1993. Picture taken 1996.
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TREES GROW FAST IN THE TROPICS
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Of all the palms, the coconut palm is of highest economic value, is grown over the widest geographical area, has possibly the largest number of uses, and is the most suitable for use in the widest variety of foods ( Woodroof, 1979). Food uses of the coconut include:
* copra production
* dried shredded coconut meat for confectionaries
* coconut "milk"
* coconut oil.
Tanzanians will often cook rice with shredded coconut. Other uses include:
* roofing material from leaves
* floor mats
* building materials from the trunks
* charcoal production
* income generation and export capital
Coconut Nursery Nyimberembe
The small, remote port town of Nyimberembe located in southern Kagera Region, Lake Victoria became the focus of an attempt to introduce coconuts (in addition to other tree species) into the region at the end of 1992. The climate of the southern regions of Lake Victoria seemed ideal for the growing of coconuts with a hotter, drier climate and lower elevations than Bukoba to the north. Most of the residents earn their living by herding cattle, growing maize and cotton or by fishing.
Support came from the Tanzania Department of Natural Resources, FAO and Danida. The nursery initially began by purchasing hybrid coconuts from a project in Dar es Salaam (the capital of Tanzania). The nursery was located at a former fish processing station about 50 meters from the lake shore. This site was cleared and fenced. Seed beds were built in the dimensions of 2 meters in width and 25 meters in length.
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PREPARING SEED BEDS FOR COCONUT PLANTING
NYIMBEREMBE, TANZANIA
Before planting, a small slice of the fibrous outer husk was removed from each nut with a machete to allow for quicker water absorption and easier shoot emergence. Coconuts were planted in rows and buried up to where just a small portion of the top protruded above the soil line.
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PLANTING COCONUTS, NYIMBEREMBE,TANZANIA
Seed beds were watered daily and after two to three months, shoots began to emerge from the coconuts.
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GERMINATING COCONUT
Seedlings grew vigorously and were allowed to mature in the seed beds for about six months before being distributed at heights of 1 meter. Local feedback from residents was encouraging at this stage. Over two thirds of the coconuts raised were purchased by one fishing village just to the south of Nyimberembe. The village chairman clearly saw the value of growing coconuts and actually required that every resident of his village plant coconuts around their homes. This village will surely be the sole supplier of coconuts to the area with a never ending supply of nuts to propagate new plants.
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COCONUT SEED BEDS
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GERMINATING COCONUT
I would like to be part of your workforce to enhence agroforestry.
i would like to be part of your force to promote agroforestry and at the same time address issues concerning effecient methods of fish preservation,since i have knowledge and skills in both fields.