Production activities done before independence

Production activities before independence

Before independence, the main production activities in Mainland Tanzania included:

1. Crop cultivation
2. Livestock keeping
3. Fishing

These activities depended on the geographical conditions of each area. For example, farming was carried out in regions with fertile land and plenty of rainfall.

Crop cultivation

1. Farming was done on small-scale farms for producing food crops.
2. Farmers used simple tools like hand hoes for cultivation.
3. When colonialists arrived, they introduced large-scale farming, focusing on cash crops such as:
   • Sisal
   • Tea
   • Pyrethrum
   • Coffee
4. Africans worked as laborers on these farms.
5. Colonialists used machines such as tractors for cultivation.

Cash crop cultivation by region

Cash crop farming was practiced in various regions based on climatic conditions and soil fertility. Some examples include:

1. Sisal – Grown in Tanga and Morogoro.
2. Tea – Cultivated in the Southern Highlands (Iringa and Njombe).
3. Pyrethrum – Produced in Arusha and Mbeya.
4. Coffee – Grown in Kilimanjaro, Kagera, and Mbeya.