Farmers’ Awareness of and Attitude towards Diversified Legumes Production in Singida Region, Tanzania

Abstract

For an extended period, legumes have served as nutritional sources in the diets of both humans and animals. Efforts have been made to increase the yield of the legume crops in Tanzania, but there is still low awareness of and unfavourable attitudes towards legume crop diversification among farmers. The study, on which this paper is based, aimed at investigating farmers’ awareness of and attitude towards diversified legumes, specifically to analyze socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, assess awareness of and attitude towards diversified legumes production, and determine effects of awareness of and attitude towards diversified legumes production on management practices of diversified legumes production. A cross-sectional survey was employed whereby primary data were collected from 204 legume farmers using a semi-structured questionnaire. Content analysis was conducted using Nvivo software to analyze qualitative data. For quantitative data, Likert scale analysis was employed as a method for descriptive statistics, and Principal Component Analysis was used as a method for inferential analysis. These analyses were performed using Smart PLS software. The findings of the study revealed that several factors significantly influenced smallholder farmers' awareness and perception of diversified legumes. These factors included ease of cultivation, fair distribution of seeds, food availability, increase in income level, high legume harvest, and higher profitability of legumes (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the statement "enough of information" did not show statistical significance (p > 0.05). However, it exhibited a positive association. Conclusively, criteria like "easy cultivation" and "fair seed distribution" had a big impact on how smallholder farmers perceived and knew about diverse legumes. However, "enough information" did not appear to have a major significance. In addition, it was found that major influences on farmers' attitudes and understanding of diversified legumes included the availability of food, rising income levels, high yields of legumes, and perceived profitability. The paper recommends for the improvement of farmers' awareness and perception of diversified legumes, fair seed distribution methods must be established that provide equal access to high-quality seeds with the help of government organizations, non-profit organizations, and seed businesses.