Kongwa District covers 4,041 square kilometres with a total population of 341,206. The district administrative divides into 3 divisions, 22 wards, 87 villages and 383 hamlets.
The mean annual rainfall for the district is 700mm. Sometimes rain season starts from November to April and the average annual rainfall ranges from 500 - 800mm for good season. Temperature is about 26.5°C and the rain season is normally between December and April.
The following are the common economic activities conducted over this district:
1. Agriculture
Agriculture and the agro-industry is the base for Tanzania’s economy. It is a crucial source of income, employment and food security for 80% of the poor in the rural areas who mostly depend on farming as their main source of livelihood.
This feature is the same for Kongwa context; agriculture is the major economic activity for the communities in the area whereby subsistence to small scale farming is the dominant mode of production. Yet still, the district is endowed with a vast land suitable for agriculture (drought tolerant breeds) and range management. The total arable land for agriculture in the District is 363,691 hectares but only 258,690 hectares are rotationally under cultivation.
There is a total of 5,811 hectares of land which can be used for irrigation through use of natural springs and rainwater harvesting schemes, but only 295 hectares is cyclically cultivated using traditional mode of irrigation.
The main food and cash crops grown include maize, millet, groundnuts, cassava, sunflower, beans and horticulture crops along streams of Tubugwe and Chamkoroma villages.
Also there are 685 tractors and 3,755 ploughs in the District which is a positive indication for agricultural tillage transformation and room for production improvement.
2. Livestock Production
Livestock keeping is the second major source of cash income for many households in semi-arid areas of central Tanzania. The importance of livestock in the economy of central regions is evident in the sense that, livestock is a major source of protein derived from livestock products (meat and milk); it is also an insurance and medium for settling social and cultural commitments. However the development of livestock sector in the area is highly constrained by poor management system, low knowledge and management skills, lack of feed concentrates, and unpredictable availability of veterinary services.
Kongwa district as one of the places in central Tanzania, Livestock form an important part as well of family wealth and savings; the sector provide an essential source of income for the households as majority of them own variable number of livestock including cattle, small ruminants and poultry.
The current estimates of economical livestock population in Kongwa stand at 121,010 for cattle; 76,724 for goats; 35,252 for Sheep; 34,221 pigs and variable number of poultry; 414,924 chicken and 5,965 dducks.
These livestock provides various products including meat, milk, hide and skin. The animal population also provides organic manure for soil fertility for those farmers who are conscious with soil refurbishing. The livestock population number above is the only one found in the district; however the neighbouring districts have a large number of livestock as well which forms part of districts livestock communities and economy due to the fact that there is “in and out” movement of livestock for pastures and auction markets which are periodically carried out weekly and monthly in various locations of the District.
This auction attracts livestock all over the district and the neighbouring areas. This is another window for investment and once it becomes real and practical, it will motivate farmers to improve livestock management from the traditional way currently used into micro- enterprises and business ventures.
