BOESEN, J., AND MOHELE, A.T. — The "Success story of Peasant
Tobacco Production in Tanzania. Uppsala: Scandinavia an Institute of
African Studies. 1969 pp.
     this book is indeed a brave attempt to give yet a new look to rural development with
a focus on peasant commodity production. It should be pointed out from the outset that
tobacco peasantry in this context has been picked as a classic example to explain the
perverse nature of socio-economic development herein called 'the ''success story" of
peasant tobacco production in Tanzania. The authors have successfully done this by
noting that the tobacco producers and their state are being exploited by transnational
corporations through such methods as price mechanisms. Further they have shown that
due to the great fuel demand deforestation has reached an alarming staje and there is
therefore a danger of environmental degradation. All this "means that tobacco
production has lead to the exhaustion of the non-renewaoie natural resources in the
latter case and the repatriation of surplus in the former.
     An overview of the tobacco industry in Tanzania forms the subject of chapter one.
 By and large this chapter traces the origin and spread of tobacco in this country. In
 addition to that, the chapter sheds new light on the existing unequal trade relations
 between tobacco producers and the state on the one hand and the giant transnational
 tobacco conglomerates on the other. The authors however, argue that the direct
 producers are victims of the 'greed' of both transnational corporations and the state. It
 is worthwhile to note here that both the tobacco producers and the state are but victims
 of tobacco conglomerates through such methods as unfavourable price mechanisms,
 trade agreements, consultancy services, debt servicing, trade marks, environmental
 degradation, etc. etc.
      Chapter two closely examines the history of tobacco farming in Tabora region - the
 study area. Emphasis is placed on the historical development of types of production
 organizations as influenced by conditions of production.
      In a nutshell the authors have successfully charted out the forces behind the
 emergence and subsequent disappearance of production organizations both local and
 international. The authors have failed to bring out the contradictions that came to the
 fore when the new foreign organizations developed and operated alongside old local
 ones. This is an important aspect much as it characterizes capitalist exploitation in the
 periphery. They have also ignored to discuss explicitly the impact of the world bank and
 its sister institutions on the government's decision making processes and on the ideology
 of socialism and self-reliance. Repeatedly they have mentioned the bank's initiatives to
 organize production. No mention was however made on the bank's insistence on
 maintaining private peasant production other than the party's policy of communal
 village production.
     The anatomv of the tobacco growing peasant at the social and economic levels forms
 the substance of chapter three. In a sense the authors have managed to show the degree
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  of success (sic) of the tobacco producer in Tabora and Urambo Districts. This has been
  achieved by proVlaing data on mean.peasant iiicomes and cnanges ill merr consumption
  habits - so called modernization. It is si:ated that there has been a constant and rapid
  upward trend in incomes save the period after villagization. It appears therefore that the
  authors imply that the viJ1~gj7ationprOgram has brought about a decline in the industrY
  despite government officials' appeals to grow more. What is lacking in this chapter and
  chapter four is an analysis of the future of tob8cco production in view of the new mode
  of production known. as "operation vijiji". It is against this background that an
  objective assessment of the success or failure of the tobacco industry in the country can
 be made.
        Reading between lines the authors seem to be painting a gloomy picture of the future
 of communal production. :Although the problems arising from t1-Jis relation of
 production are outlined the advantages acruing from it are not g,ven their due weight.
 May be it is too early to assess this!!                                        "
         In chapter five the major environmental resources in the production of tobacco
  namely forests and water are discussed. As for the Miombo forest .-esources, it is pointed
  out that if the present methods Of tobacco curing are not changed serious ecological
  problems may arise as a result of deforestation which is said to have reached an alarming
  stage. As for the water resources it is argued that the s~01iage of water in the area poses
  seriollS problems in seed bed preparations. The authors however are sceptical about
  provision of piped water arguing tliat this woul~ increase the burden on the peasants as
  their net incomes are already dwindling. ,It should be noted that much as water is a
  limiting factor in tobacco production in this area infrastructural development such as
  piped water cannot be overlooked.
        The question of credit facilities in chapter six could be well fieCl to the whole
 production costing process. Itis here where I think that changing forces of production is
 in the long term a profitable venture both on the peasants. side and the financial
 institutions. The authors point to the fact that if no credits were provided to the petty
 commodity producers then the majority would drop out of the industrY. May be it is
 interesting at-this juncture to ask oneself: 'who loses and to what extent?' in the final
 analysis.
        In chapter seven the discussion ceqtres around the optimal use of available labow
vis-a-vis the maximization. of yields. In this regard attention would have been paid to th~
equality of the labour too. Sheer computation of members based on age groups makes
the argument very mechanical.                                                       "
                                         "
       In chapter eight it is argued that close supervision of peasant tobacco growers is an
efficient way of monitoring the progress of the capital invested. Experience has shown
elsewhere that this is not a solution. It is very much the degree of concern that the
peasant attaches to the project that matters most. The degree of commitment in this
cOntext is indeed an unquantifiable moral issue.
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    The extent ot penetration        of international   capital in TlIJ1Z8J1ia'seconomy is
dernoostrated in chapter nine. It is evident here that the giant transnational tobacco
conglomerates have a greater say on the local tobacco industry than. the national
institutions not to mention the peasant himself. It appears from the author's point ,,'
view that this plight is likely to persist despite socialist proclamations by the state. The
author's failure to point out 'the weakness of piece-meal transformations towards
SOCialism (Ujamaa) leaves much      to be desired.
    The last chapter is an excellent theoretical framework whiCh serves as a starting point
in the analysis of the peasants in underdeveloped economies. By and large this is an
excellent book. The substantive but especially the methodology are extremdy relevant
aD.d timely. It is a relevant text book to students of political economy and researchers
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