Makete - Economy

Economy

Agriculture provides the livelihood of most people in Makete District. Because of the temperate climate, wheat and potatoes are widely cultivated; they are often intercropped with pumpkin, Phaseolus beans and peas. Because of the temperate climate, also fruit trees, such as plums, peaches, apples and pears, are being cropped in the district. The region is well known for its bamboo wine (ulanzi), which is prepared from the fermented juice of the wine bamboo (Oxytenanthera braunii). People from Makete District traditionally worked as pluckers on tea plantations of the country. Maize has only recently been introduced. Diverse livestock species are held. While cattle are usually kept on communal grazing land, goats, pigs and poultry are reared close to the homesteads. Inside the houses, a large proportion of the rural population also keeps domestic cavies (i.e., Guinea pig, Cavia porcellus) for meat production, although they are rarely mentioned in statistics. Locally, the animals are called simbilisi, which is a Kihehe word. In Makete District, cavies are largely fed with bamboo leaves.