Livelihood Strategies for Food Shortages during Dry Seasons in Tanzania: A Case Study of the Halali River Catchment Areas in Wanging’ombe District

Abstract

This paper examines the livelihood strategies adopted by people in the Halali River catchment areas of Wanging’ombe District, Njombe region, Tanzania, during food shortage. The study employed a mixed research approach, utilising quantitative and qualitative methods. Questionnaires, in-depth interviews, focused group discussions (FGDs) and documentary reviews were used for data collection, involving 310 heads of households and 23 key informants. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were used to analyse data. The results indicate that people in the Halali catchment area adopted various off-farm income-generating activities such as business, carpentry, masonry, pottery, basket making and brewing beer as survival strategies during food shortages. Other sources of off-farm income-generating activities included wage employment, casual agricultural labour and remittances from relatives living far from the basin. It is concluded that most households in the study area were poor and likely to be food insecure due to limited opportunities for off-farm income-generating activities. It is recommended that the government should disseminate knowledge on the availability of reliable markets for agricultural products and the protection of the Halali River catchment areas.