Agricultural research, technology development, transfer, uptake and adoption in Tanzania: past and future outlook for the next millennium
Mtenga, L.A.;|Massawe, N.F.;|Kurwijila R.L. / 1999

The paper looks at the role of research and development in Tanzania’s agricultural development. A brief historical account on type and methods that have been applied in agricultural research since pre-independence era is given. A general observation that agricultural research had had little impact on Tanzania’s agriculture forms a basis for an analysis of why has been so. It is contended that poor research-extension linkage is only one of the many factors hindering adoption of improved technologies by farmers. The social economic and social-cultural environment under which farmers operate could hamper adoption of potentially useful technologies developed by researchers. The paper looks at some case studies of technology transfer programme in Tanzania pointing out reasons for failure or success. It is argued that participatory research method that takes into account the farmers needs and perceived options for addressing bottlenecks is requires for drastic transformation of agriculture that is required in Tanzania. The paper ends by posing some self evaluation questions regarding researchers knowledge of farmers’ needs, researcher competence and whether or not enough is known as to which are the most critical bottlenecks to agriculture development in Tanzania and the best way these bottlenecks could be addressed by ways other than just research and technology development, transfer, adoption, and dissemination.