Impact Of Agricultural Market Reforms On Smallholder Farmers In ...
Impact Of Agricultural Market Reforms On Smallholder Farmers In ... Impact Of Agricultural Market Reforms On Smallholder Farmers In ...
Surprisingly, tobacco growers are more likely to feel either no change or worse off since 1995. This is a puzzling result, as the number of tobacco growers has increased significantly since 1995 and the production of burley tobacco by small farmers has more than doubled since the reforms. It could be that tobacco growers have felt the impact of higher fertilizer prices more acutely than other farmers because they are more likely to use fertilizer. Therefore, the increase in the price of imported fertilizer due to subsidy removal without a corresponding increase in tobacco prices may have been more harmful to them. If a household head is related to the village chief (a measure for being better connected), he/she is less likely to feel better off since 1995. Again, there may be some social village dynamics that may have changed since 1995 and that cannot be explained here. The non-significant results show that the likelihood of feeling worse off or better off is not affected by the gender of the household head, ethnicity, farm size, membership in a club or association, access to road infrastructure (measure by distance to main road), ownership of assets such as radio or bike, or regional location. This again highlights the fact that, contrary to many criticism of the reforms, the reforms were not more negatively perceived by female-headed households or households with smaller farms. 5.2 Results from the Malawi Community Survey 5.2.1 Survey and questionnaire The community survey in Malawi consisted of a survey of the 40 EPAs that were randomly selected for the smallholder farmer survey. The questionnaire included general information questions about the selected EPA, its agricultural production, its road infrastructure, its access to transportation services, the availability of input and output markets, the implementation of the SPS and APIP programs in the EPA, the existence of farmers’ clubs and associations, the supply of extension and credit services, and the availability of storage facilities and telephone services. The survey was implemented in the period November 1999 to February 2000. The interview was conducted with the MOAI extension officers allocated to each EPA. 269
5.2.2 General information In general, an average EPA comprises about 160 villages, 18.7 thousand farming households, and 87 thousand people. The average total surface area of an EPA is about 50 thousand hectares, about half of which is arable. The average population density is about 1.74 person per ha. There are some regional differences in these statistics (see Table 5.69). For example, the average number of villages in an EPA in the central region is 214, about twice as high as in a Southern or Northern EPA. Total surface area of an EPA in the North is slightly larger than in the South or Center (51 thousand ha compared to 49.9). However, population density is highest in the Southern region (2.06 person per ha) compared to the Central region (1.54 person per ha) or Northern region (1.59 person per ha). The share of arable land area is highest in the Central region, which is why it is considered the bread basket of Malawi. 5.2.3 Agricultural Production Information Table 5.70 gives a break-down of crop production patterns in the EPAs. As expected, maize is the most important cereal, while cassava and sweet potatoes are the most important tubers produced. Tobacco is the most important cash crop. Crop production patterns differ slightly between regions. For example, higher production of maize, sweet potatoes, beans, sorghum, vegetables, fruits and nuts, chillies, and cotton are noted in the Southern region; more Irish potatoes, groundnuts, sunflower, soybeans, and tobacco are grown in the Center; and production of cassava, rice, and sugar is highest in the North. The yields reported by the EPA extension officers are higher than those estimated from the smallholder farmer survey (see Table 5.71). The reason could be that the extension officers are reporting the yields for the best seed varieties. Or they could be inflating their EPA’s yields to demonstrate their effectiveness in promoting adoption of agricultural technology by small farmers. For example, maize yields reported by the EPA extension officers are 2.2 tons/ha, while the average yield estimated in the small farmers’ survey is less 1 ton/ha. The lower yields estimated from the small farmers’ survey could also be because farmers tended to over-estimate farm-size. Different crop yields do not show a clear regional pattern, although yields in the North seem to be in general, higher than in the other regions. 270
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5.2.2 General information<br />
<strong>In</strong> general, an average EPA comprises about 160 villages, 18.7 thousand farming households, and<br />
87 thousand people. The average total surface area of an EPA is about 50 thousand hectares,<br />
about half of which is arable. The average population density is about 1.74 person per ha. There<br />
are some regional differences in these statistics (see Table 5.69). For example, the average<br />
number of villages in an EPA in the central region is 214, about twice as high as in a Southern or<br />
Northern EPA. Total surface area of an EPA in the North is slightly larger than in the South or<br />
Center (51 thousand ha compared to 49.9). However, population density is highest in the<br />
Southern region (2.06 person per ha) compared to the Central region (1.54 person per ha) or<br />
Northern region (1.59 person per ha). The share of arable land area is highest in the Central<br />
region, which is why it is considered the bread basket of Malawi.<br />
5.2.3 <strong>Agricultural</strong> Production <strong>In</strong>formation<br />
Table 5.70 gives a break-down of crop production patterns in the EPAs. As expected, maize is<br />
the most important cereal, while cassava and sweet potatoes are the most important tubers<br />
produced. Tobacco is the most important cash crop. Crop production patterns differ slightly<br />
between regions. For example, higher production of maize, sweet potatoes, beans, sorghum,<br />
vegetables, fruits and nuts, chillies, and cotton are noted in the Southern region; more Irish<br />
potatoes, groundnuts, sunflower, soybeans, and tobacco are grown in the Center; and production<br />
of cassava, rice, and sugar is highest in the North.<br />
The yields reported by the EPA extension officers are higher than those estimated from the smallholder<br />
farmer survey (see Table 5.71). The reason could be that the extension officers are<br />
reporting the yields for the best seed varieties. Or they could be inflating their EPA’s yields to<br />
demonstrate their effectiveness in promoting adoption of agricultural technology by small<br />
farmers. For example, maize yields reported by the EPA extension officers are 2.2 tons/ha, while<br />
the average yield estimated in the small farmers’ survey is less 1 ton/ha. The lower yields<br />
estimated from the small farmers’ survey could also be because farmers tended to over-estimate<br />
farm-size. Different crop yields do not show a clear regional pattern, although yields in the North<br />
seem to be in general, higher than in the other regions.<br />
270
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