This volume is about the contradictions of liberalisation and the complexity of farmers' responses to the changing roles of states and markets.

Contract farming has received renewed attention recently as developing economies try to grapple with how to transform the agricultural sector and its associated value chains. This book examines different contract arrangements for selected crops, applying both qualitative and quantitative approaches in order to examine how contract farming affects smallholders and value chain dynamics in Tanzania. Major themes covered in the book include: contract farming policy; contract farming and value chain dynamics; contract farming adoption decisions; contract farming and income diversification. The authors also discuss alternative aspects of contract farming such as trust, conspiracy, empowerment and corporate social responsibility. The book presents original research from case studies conducted in Tanzania on sugarcane, tobacco, sunflower and cotton. These crops have a history of trials and errors with contract farming involving smallholders. Furthermore, they are targeted in national strategies as some of the main crops for establishment and upgrading of agro-industrial activities in Tanzania.

Research report on farmer reactions and attitudes to changing economic conditions with respect to agricultural production, production factors and agricultural markets in Tanzania, with a case study of Kilimanjaro region - based on a sample survey of five villages, discusses agricultural policies, "vicious circles" of the economy, reasoning behind farmer decisions on cash crop and food production, strategies to increase agricultural income and reduce consumer expenditure, related economic implications, social implications and political aspects, etc.

The United Republic of Tanzania has a predominantly agricultural economy, with agriculture accounting for more than two-thirds of employment in rural areas and representing 30 percent of GDP. Yet, by global standards and even by the standards of Developing Countries, crop yields in the county are low. Using improved seeds and mineral fertilizers is therefore critical to promoting growth in crop productivity, food production and sustaining the natural resource base, especially among the smallholder farmers who subsist on nutrient-poor soils. In 2016, The Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries (MALF) of the United Republic of Tanzania requested an assessment of the potential costs and benefits of a proposed Bulk Procurement System (BPS) for fertilizer imports that would consolidate international procurement to save costs, ultimately improving the affordability for farmers. This assessment was jointly carried out and submitted to MALF in 2017 by FAO and the International Fertilizer Development Centre (IFDC), and presents an analysis of the fertilizer market, the proposed BPS policy, and interviews with over one hundred public, private, and civil society stakeholders. The findings indicate that the proposed system would likely not reduce prices for farmers and could negatively affect availability and market competition – causing prices to increase in the long term. The authors therefore recommend against its implementation pending further consultations, or to pilot the system with careful review and evaluation. The report also presents alternative policy options for the short and medium term to improve overall efficiency in the value chain and ultimately make fertilizer more affordable for Tanzanian smallholder farmers.