Abstract

The performances in the food and cashcrop sectors and the availability and consumption ofagricultural inputs in Tanzania during structuraladjustment programs (1986–1996) are compared withperiods prior to this IMF/World Bank backed reform.The positive developments in the first five years ofreform appear to be not sustainable. Presentlyproductivity levels per rural capita for importantfood and cash crops are declining. There are nofurther improvements in the availability andconsumption of agricultural inputs. The removal ofsubsidies on agricultural inputs from 1991 onwards iscrucial in explaining the decline in maize production,the main food crop in Tanzania. Some assumptionsbehind the reform measures are proving to be wrong.Modifications are thus needed to improve theagricultural sector of Tanzania in a sustainable way.Structural adjustment programs usually go too far inreducing the role of the government. However,government involvement might be necessary to ensure ahigher consumption of agricultural inputs and thus abetter performance of the agricultural sector inTanzania. A higher productivity in the agriculturalsector is needed in Tanzania to avoid food securityproblems in the future