Dar es Salaam. As rainfall across Tanzania becomes increasingly erratic, delayed and insufficient, the Agricultural Growth Corridors of Tanzania (Agcot) has issued an urgent advisory calling on farmers to place soil health at the centre of their climate-change response.
Agcot warns that declining and unpredictable rainfall, prolonged dry spells and rising temperatures now pose a structural threat to agricultural productivity rather than a temporary setback. While expanding irrigation remains important, the organisation says it is no longer sufficient on its own and must be complemented by climate-smart approaches, particularly deliberate investment in soil health.
These include the use of drought-tolerant and early-maturing crop varieties, improved seed capable of escaping drought, and farming systems that protect soil structure and organic matter.
The advisory builds on experience gained during Agcot’s earlier operations as Sagcot, when, in collaboration with the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (Tari), it conducted field trials on soil-health-based farming systems. According to Agcot, results consistently showed that farms which protected soil structure and organic matter performed significantly better under conditions of low and unreliable rainfall.
The organisation says the guidance reflects realities observed across smallholder farms nationwide, including the Coastal Belt, Central regions, Northern Highlands and Lake Zone. Continued exposure of soil without protective cover has been identified as a major cause of erosion, loss of fertile topsoil, rapid moisture depletion, destruction of soil biodiversity and declining crop yields.
The advisory comes as Tanzania again faces reduced rainfall linked to the La Niña climate phenomenon, which meteorological experts associate with delayed onset of rains, prolonged dry spells and episodes of intense heat, particularly in Coastal and Central zones. These conditions have increasingly resulted in what experts describe as a “green drought”, where crops germinate after early rains but fail mid-season due to poor moisture retention.
Agcot says farmers who invest in soil health are far better positioned to withstand such conditions, as healthy soils store moisture and nutrients, allowing crops to survive extended dry spells and reducing the risk of total crop failure even when rainfall is below average.
Field observations cited in the advisory show widespread cases of young maize crops growing on bare soil without any residue cover. Although such soils may still be productive, direct exposure to intense sunlight leads to rapid drying, early plant stress and stunted growth. Agcot notes that this is no longer a localised problem but a national challenge requiring a shift in land management practices.
As a response, the organisation is urging a decisive transition to Conservation Agriculture, anchored on continuous soil cover, reduced soil disturbance and crop diversification. Maintaining even a thin soil cover through retained residues or mulch helps lower soil temperatures and reduce moisture loss, while reduced ploughing preserves soil structure and improves water infiltration. Crop rotation and intercropping with legumes such as pigeon pea, lablab and velvet bean also enhance soil fertility and moisture retention.
Agcot highlights particular challenges in sandy soils, especially in Coastal and Central Tanzania, where rapid drainage limits moisture availability. It notes that many soils have organic carbon levels below 0.3 percent, far below the minimum 0.7 percent required for resilience. Through the use of cover crops, manure, compost and biochar, farmers can raise soil carbon levels within three to four years.
For the first time, Agcot is strongly promoting biochar as a practical and affordable solution, especially in rice-growing areas where husks are often burned or discarded. When properly carbonised and incorporated into the soil, biochar turns agricultural waste into a long-term reservoir for water and nutrients.
Research from Tari stations in Tumbi, Ilonga, Selian and Mbinga shows that combining soil cover, conservation tillage and water-harvesting practices can double or even quadruple maize yields during drought years, while enabling crops to survive up to two weeks longer without rainfall during mid-season dry spells.
The advisory aligns with the Tanzania Agriculture Master Plan 2050 and broader continental efforts to restore soil health as the foundation of sustainable growth. Agcot Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Kirenga said soil health must now be treated as a strategic priority.
“The time has come for farmers to give soil health the same importance we have long given to improved seed and fertiliser,” he said. “Without living, protected soil, no technology can save our crops.”
Agcot is calling on farmers, extension officers, research institutions and development partners to mainstream Conservation Agriculture practices, warning that leaving soil bare leads to direct economic losses and perpetuates low productivity and rural poverty.
