Production and Marketing of Orange in Two Villages in Muheza District, Tanzania

Abstract

This study examines the current situation and challenges in orange production and marketing in Muheza District, Tanga Region, Tanzania. Tanga Region is a major orange production area in Tanzania, and it is estimated that more than 80% of all oranges in Tanga Region are produced in Muheza District. Utilizing field data collected in Mkuzi and Mindu villages in Muheza District, this paper explores the current situation of orange production and marketing. Orange production makes a substantial contribution to the district’s economy; 80% of the district council revenue is derived from taxes on orange production and about 75% of household income in 2011 was estimated to be delivered from oranges. Although orange production is extremely important in this district, the real situation regarding production and marketing has not been closely investigated. In this paper, I discuss the present situation regarding orange production and marketing and present an empirical study conducted in two representative villages in Muheza District. It is argued that the marketing chain controls orange production in the two villages because participants higher up the chain can directly control the production process through their interactions with producers. However, at the end, the traders who have control of the orange farms, and the producers are often relegated to mere watchmen of their own plots. To address this issue, an integrated approach is recommended where dependence on orange cultivation is reduced by diversifying into other sources of income, such as planting fast-growing timber trees along the boundaries of farms, to supplement producers’ income from orange.