ABSTRACT

The Haya fanning system has proved to be sustainable for at least four centuries because it was developed in harmony with local resources and ecology. Rural population densities are much higher than in most other areas of Tanzania, where survival requires shifting cultivation, long fallow periods and a widely dispersed population (Bryceson, 1990, p.23). Haya residents live on permanent plots where they cultivate bananas as the staple food. This is possible because Kagera region is endowed with ample rainfall and deep soils, moreover, the Haya have a long tradition of fanning in a manner that preserves and enhances the fertility and structure of the land as it was in its forest state prior to settlement. This is achieved through interplanting, manuring and mulching.