Cotton in Tanzania. Breaking the Jinx

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This book tells the story of cotton in Tanzania, which illustrates both the potential of the crop and the factors which have held it back. It does not neglect the fact that Tanzania’s largest ever cotton crop of 376,000 tons of seed cotton was achieved in 2005/06 or that government and farmers initiatives over time have been serious and have had some success. However, Joe Kabissa shows that whether in terms of ‘Research and Development’, the adoption of improved cultivation techniques or the institutional structure of both the cotton and textile sectors, there has been a consistent pattern of underperformance, acknowledged at different times by all the major players. The search for a stable smallholder cropping systems in Africa, combining food security with cash income, remains as acute an issue as ever. It is tempting to see the way forward in terms of larger scale agriculture. But with well over half of Africa’s population still relying on agriculture for survival and income, the role which specific crops can play, needs constant examination.