Land pressure as a major constraint in rural development: A case study of Vunjo West Division-Moshi District Tanzania

Abstract

This study has found out that the problem of land pressure in Vunjo West division does exist and its cause is mainly rural overpopulation. In this division, the existing population exceeds the capacity population based on the concept of land carrying capacity of the area. Furthermore, it has also been found out that Vunjo West division is mainly dependent on an agricultural economy geared mainly to the production of subsistence food crops such as bananas, beans, maize, vegetables and sweet-potatoes. Coffee has also been found to be the only cash crop and major source of peoples income. Inter-planting of coffee, bananas, maize and beans has also been found to be the common farming practise. This farming practise has been found to be partly due to inadequate usable land and partly due to other factors such as saving of farm labour per plot, type of farming technology used, and the type of crops commonly grown which render themselves possible to inter-planting. Sub-division of plots to sons once they marry is also a common traditional practise. In respect to all this, the main strategies to resolve the problem of land pressure and the related ones are firstly introduction of rural transformation programmes which will incorporate an agricultural development strategy^ through land use reform programme. Another strategy is the introduction of resettlement schemes and Social Welfare development programme involving educating the rural people on family planning. However, since land is the most limited resource, all attempts towards resolving the problem of land pressure would depend on the extent to which population growth rates could be controlled.