Groundnuts Scheme

Tanzanian history

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June 29, 2026

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The Groundnuts Scheme was a post-World War II agricultural development plan in Tanganyika, financed by the British government. The ambitious plan aimed to cultivate 3 million acres (1.2 million hectares) of land with peanuts, with an estimated cost of £25 million, plus an additional £4.5 million for a new railway. However, the scheme ultimately failed due to inadequate preliminary investigations and was later implemented on a much smaller scale. This initiative was part of Tanganyika's broader post-war economic recovery and development program, which also saw the territory placed under United Nations trusteeship in 1947.1

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Tanzania
Tanganyika Territory
…the production of peanuts (the Groundnuts Scheme). The plan, which was to be financed by the British government, was to cost £25 million, and, in addition, a further £4.5 million would be required for the construction of a railway in southern Tanganyika. It failed because of the lack of adequate…
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…the production of peanuts (the Groundnuts Scheme). The plan, which was to be financed by the British government, was to cost £25 million, and, in addition, a further £4.5 million would be required for the construction of a railway in southern Tanganyika. It failed because of the lack of adequate…
Read More