Thousands of female farmers in Tanzania, Malawi and Uganda could escape a life of poverty if better policies were adopted to bridge a yawning gap in agricultural productivity between women and men, according to a World Bank and United Nations report.

The study by the World Bank and UN Women measured the economic costs of female farmers in the three east African countries having less access to land, labour, fertiliser, crop choice and machinery that made them less productive.

Previous studies have found women farmers in Africa produce between 13 per cent and 25 per cent less than male farmers.

It found as many as many as 238,000 people in Malawi, 80,000 in Tanzania, and 119,000 in Uganda could be lifted from poverty if this agricultural gender gap was addressed as studies show women reinvest 90 per cent of income into families.

Agriculture is a key engine for most African economies, representing a critical source of income and ensuring food security and nutrition, with women comprising almost half of the agricultural workforce in sub-Saharan Africa.

"If we had a system that gives us equal rights to use land as we please I am sure we would be better off,” said Salima Nyantole, a female farmer from Morogoro in southern Tanzania.

The report, titled "The cost of gender gap in agricultural productivity in Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda”, said gender issues were not fully reflected in the countries’ agricultural policies and this needed to be addressed.