Agriculture in the in the region is a sound economic activity especially in rural wards. It employs 85% of the rural population. Crops grown are cotton, rice, sorghum, sweet potatoes, cassava, maize, beans and other legume crops and a variety of local vegetables plus tropical fruits, such as pineapples oranges, papaya, mangoes, banana, pepper, cabbage, onions and tomatoes.
Cotton is a major local and export cash crop. The remaining crops are mainly grown for domestic use. However the surplus produce finds markets to the neighboring regions of Shinyanga, Mara, Tabora and Arusha and other neighboring countries especially, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda,Democratic Republic of Congo(DRC) and Kenya.In farming activities hand hoe and ploughs pulled by oxen are used and sometimes light duty tractors are also used. All farmers in the region are small scale farmers.Mwanza residents are also very active in livestocks and animal husbandry as one of their many day to day activities.
Dairy farming, poultry and piggery are common agricultural activities. Some livestock is a consistent source of income to the residents, while others are raised for their meat, milk and eggs consumption. In most cases livestock keepers are also cultivators and it is estimated that more than 15% of the whole population of Mwanza region are involved in this activities.
