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In Tanzania, small-scale farmers account for nearly 70% of the country’s food production, highlighting the crucial role of agriculture in the country’s economy. With rice being one of the staple crops in the country, the rice market serves as a significant source of income for small-scale farmers.

The proportion of young people is rapidly growing across the world, and Tanzania has one of the worlds fastest growing young population. Of the estimated 60 million people in Tanzania, more than 44% of the population is under 15 years old. As agriculture remains a cornerstone of Tanzania’s economy, youth are considered to play a key role in the socio-economic development of Tanzania. But youth often find agriculture unglamorous, old-fashioned, and too hardworking. Most youth see agriculture as traditional subsistence farming, and not a business. We had a chat with Enoch Asulwisue Kasisi, a youth farmer in Mbarali, about his experience with agribusiness.

In 1997, Shukuru Abdallah and her husband began growing rice to feed their young family in Uhambule village, Mbarali, southern Tanzania. Her husband was originally a maize farmer, but Shukuru convinced him to borrow two acres of land to grow rice and beans to vary their diet and sell the surplus for a profit.

The effects of climate change in Mbarali have hurt small-scale farmers the most. With a population heavily dependent on rain for agriculture, drastic changes in rainfall patterns have translated into life-altering productivity and income losses. Farmers say they used to be able to forecast the rainy season reliably; less so over the past 10 to 20 years.