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An Appraisal of the Constraints, Opportunities, and Farmers’ Needs and Preferences of Oil Palm for Sustainable Production and Improvement in Tanzania

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  • Masoud Salehe Sultan

    (African Centre for Crop Improvement (ACCI), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa
    TARI Kihinga Center, Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Kigoma P.O. Box 132, Tanzania)

  • Hussein Shimelis

    (African Centre for Crop Improvement (ACCI), University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Pietermaritzburg 3209, South Africa)

  • Filson Mbezi Kagimbo

    (TARI Kihinga Center, Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Kigoma P.O. Box 132, Tanzania)

  • Emmanuel Justin Mrema

    (TARI Tumbi Center, Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI), Tabora P.O. Box 306, Tanzania)

Abstract

Oil palm is one of the primary vegetable oil sources worldwide, including in Tanzania. Tanzania’s mean palm oil yield is 1.6 tons per hectare, far below the 6 to 8 tons per hectare reported elsewhere. This low oil yield is attributable to underdeveloped, unsustainable oil palm production systems and improvements, several biotic and abiotic stresses, and socio-economic and policy challenges that have yet to be systematically documented to guide large-scale production, breeding, and research support. The objectives of this study were to appraise oil palm production and improvement in Tanzania, focusing on constraints, opportunities, and farmers’ major preferences. A participatory rural appraisal study was conducted in Kigoma Region, in three selected districts. Data were collected from 392 oil palm farmers using semi-structured questionnaires and 54 focus group discussants. Data were subjected to statistical analyses to discern the variables and their significant associations using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS Inc., 2020). About 98.5% of the participant farmers engage in oil palm production. Most respondent farmers predominantly cultivate the Dura oil palm type (97.4%), followed by Tenera (50%). The farmers’ major reported oil palm production constraints were an inadequate supply of improved planting materials (reported by 82.7% of respondents), poor access to credit (72.4%), a high cost of production inputs (59.4%), poor market access (56.4%), insect pests and diseases (53.6), and poor production technologies (45.4%). A chi-square analysis of farmers’ production constraints revealed that the unavailability of labor ( X 2 = 41.181; p = 0.000); limited extension services ( X 2 = 29.074; p = 0.000); and diseases and pests ( X 2 = 19.582; p = 0.000) differed significantly across the study area. Additionally, the lack of fertilizers ( X 2 = 14.218; p = 0.001); inappropriate technology and knowledge gaps ( X 2 = 10.529; p = 0.005); and poor market access ( X 2 = 6.621; p = 0.036) differed significantly across districts. A high oil yield (reported by 58.7% of the respondents), a high number of bunches per plant (40.5%), early maturity (37.2%), and tolerance to droughts (23%) and diseases and insect pests (18.9%) were the most preferred traits by farmers in oil palm varieties. Therefore, integrative and sustainable breeding oil palm for enhanced yields and farmers’ preferred traits will increase the adoption of newly improved varieties for local palm oil production, import substitution, and economic development in Tanzania.

Suggested Citation

  • Masoud Salehe Sultan & Hussein Shimelis & Filson Mbezi Kagimbo & Emmanuel Justin Mrema, 2025. "An Appraisal of the Constraints, Opportunities, and Farmers’ Needs and Preferences of Oil Palm for Sustainable Production and Improvement in Tanzania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-19, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:8:p:3546-:d:1635178
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Desawi Hdru Teklu & Hussein Shimelis & Abush Tesfaye & Seltene Abady, 2021. "Appraisal of the Sesame Production Opportunities and Constraints, and Farmer-Preferred Varieties and Traits, in Eastern and Southwestern Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-17, October.
    2. Dmytro Serebrennikov & Fiona Thorne & Zein Kallas & Sinéad N. McCarthy, 2020. "Factors Influencing Adoption of Sustainable Farming Practices in Europe: A Systemic Review of Empirical Literature," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-23, November.
    3. Najeeb Al-Amin Iddris & Greta Formaglio & Carola Paul & Volker Groß & Guantao Chen & Andres Angulo-Rubiano & Dirk Berkelmann & Fabian Brambach & Kevin F. A. Darras & Valentyna Krashevska & Anton Potap, 2023. "Mechanical weeding enhances ecosystem multifunctionality and profit in industrial oil palm," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 6(6), pages 683-695, June.
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