Empowerment of Pineapple Small Holder Farmers in Geita District

Geita district is one of the districts forming Mwanza region. It occupies the total area of 7,825 sq km where water is 1,050 sq km and land is 6,775 sq km. According to the national population and census of August 2002, the district had population of 709,078 of which 354,065 are males and 355,013 are females with a growth rates of 3.6%.Average household size as per census is 6.5.The district has good potential for a variety of crops i.e. food crops, cash crops and fruits especially pineapples. The district has surplus suitable areas for agriculture with well favored in having reliable rains of over 900mm per year. These agricultural potential areas are in the divisions of Bugando, Busanda, Nyangwale and Butundwe sub division.

With these climatic potentials many small holder farmers are engaged in cultivating pineapples as both cash crop and for home consumption. There is large of production of pineapples in Geita district as note earlier, favored by the availability of conducive climatic condition however, the small farmers involved in this type of agricultural activity lack finance and equipments that would help them expand their activities and meanwhile reach viable markets.

The small holders farmers involved in the pineapple farming would make a significant contribution to their own life and at the mean time contribute to the national economy. They are therefore supposed to access reliable market, entrepreneurial skills, investment in pineapple juice canning, project development and management as well as enough funding for their projects. And the start of small industry for pineapple juice canning would impact a lot on this agricultural product.

If these small holder farmers would be capacitated to run their activities in a more efficient way there will be a great creation of employment opportunities and hence solving the problem of youth moving from rural areas to cities.

Further empowering indigenous to participate in the development of their own economy is the only way that can contribute greatly to the development of the country. This is an example of The Republic of People of China who have excelled out of their own initiative. With their own investments, the money will remain in the circulation their own economy.