The dietary importance of maize in Katumba ward, Rungwe district, Tanzania, and its contribution to household food security

Maize is one of the main staple food crops in Katumba ward. The dietary importance of maize in Katumba ward was investigated through studying the importance of maize as a source of food, nutrients and energy in using secondary data and face to face structured and semi- structured interviews that were administered using a questionnaire to 260 farm households that were randomly selected for the study. The aim of the study was to provide empirical data that show how maize contributes to household food security in Katumba ward. In turn, the data can be used to advocate for agricultural policy that promotes maize quality through using efficient storage methods in the ward and other places that have the same climatic conditions as Katumba ward. It was found that farm households in Katumba ward prefer maize meals, and that they may be able to obtain 66.8 to 69.5% of the total energy and 83 to 90% of the total protein required per day through maize meals consumption. Therefore it was concluded that maize is a very important food crop in Katumba ward, and it was recommended that storage mechanisms in this ward be given adequate attention in order to maximize the quality of stored maize for the enhancement of healthy diets and food security of the consumers.