Constraints on the commercialization of Sukuma livestock, 1919-1961

Abstract

Market participations of African livestock-keepers is one subject that has generated.a lot of interest and controversy among authors. This study, which investigates the constraints on market participation^ of the Sukuma livestock-keepers during the British colonial period, largely emanates from the desire to contribute to the increasing spate of academic books and articles on the subjecto Sukumaland, with its districts of Geita, Mwanza, Kwimba, Maswa and Shinyanga is a good choice for such an investigation. A mixed economy of crop production and livestock (mainly cattle, sheep and goats) keeping has been a prominent feature of this region of Tanzania inhabited by the Sukuma, the largest ethnic group in the country. In fact Sukumaland has been one of the leading cash crop (cotton) producing and livestock keeping areas of Tanzania for the past several decades.In this study, I argue that the apparent low market integration of the Sukuma was not the result of their inate refusal to sell some of their beasts. Rather, I suggest that several factors which have often been ignored or under-rated by many authors were important in influencing the market off-take rates. Among the several factors discussed include the impact of government policies, of the Great Depression, the Second World War and the compulsory destocking exercise introduced in 1952. The impact of veterinary restrictions and alternative sources of cash income (especially cotton) on the livestock trade has also been discussed. This study relies heavily on government publications,archival materials and some published literature. The utilization of these sources involved research in the University of Zambia Library, the University of Dar es Salaam Library and the Tanzania National Archives. I had initially intended to undertake field research in rural Sukumaland but I was unable to do so as I secured research clearance from the Tanzania Government when the time I had allocated for this research had elapsed. However, I was able to obtain limited oral information on the subject through discussions with some Sukuma in Dar es Salaam, Shinyanga and Mwanza towns.