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 ...
Most common means of transport to the point of sale are by foot, by bicycle, or by animal and cart. When other factors are held constant, marketed surplus is higher for households with a smaller number of children, literate households heads, larger farm size, those that grow tobacco, those that belong to a club, those that own a radio, and the shorter the distance of the farm to a road. Expenditure patterns Average per capita expenditures (including food and non-food) are MK 3.1 thousand. Food purchases absorb 37 percent of total expenditures, while home produced food accounts for another 30 percent. Maize alone accounts for 32 percent of the food budget. Other important food items consumed are fish, tomatoes, sugar, chicken, leafy vegetables, beans and groundnuts. Holding everything else constant, higher levels of per capita expenditures are associated with smaller families, fewer children, larger farms, membership in a cooperative/association, more frequent contacts with extension agents, houses with a cement roof-top, and ownership of assets such as chairs, beds, and radios. Sources of information and access to extension services Smallholder farmers receive most of their agronomic information from extension agents. Other sources of information, especially for prices and changes in policies, are the radio and family and friends Farmers have contacts with extension agents about 17 times a year. Perceptions about the reforms For most crops, farmers believe that their profitability had increased since 1995. About two-third of the households noted that seeds had become more available since 1995 but only 40 percent noted that fertilizer had become more available. Forty-five and 65 percent of the farmers reported an improvement in the number of input sellers and crop buyers respectively since 1995. Two-third of the households complained about a deterioration in road conditions since 1995. 341
About 62 percent of the households felt worse off in 1998 than in 1995. The main reason for this change was the higher cost of fertilizer. Another one-quarter of the households felt better off, mainly because they were growing more cash crops or earning money from non-farm work. The regression analysis of perceived changes in well-being suggest that the likelihood of feeling better off increases with expenditure levels, higher marketed surplus, larger family size, younger farmers and illiterate household heads. The most pertinent results from the community survey of 40 EPAs can be summarized as follows. Between two-thirds and three-quarter of the EPAs reported higher agricultural production and higher marketed surplus since 1995. Road, communication and transport infrastructure are still poorly developed and road quality has deteriorated since 1995 for 40 percent of the EPAs. For most EPA markets, the frequency of operation, the volume traded, and the number of private traders has increased since 1995. ADMARC is still the dominant input supplier but private traders are now considered more important in crop marketing. 6.5 Conclusions for Malawi Based on the above results, general observations from field work and review of other research, the following conclusions can be derived on the status of the smallholder sector following the reforms of the early to mid-1990s. The reforms have provided a boost to agricultural production. Both the survey results and figures from secondary sources indicate that agricultural production in the 1990s has increased significantly because of an expansion in land area cultivated and to a lesser extent, because of higher yields for some crops. Although maize and tobacco remain the dominant food and cash crop in Malawi, some diversification into other crops (such as cassava, potatoes, beans, and horticultural crops) has occurred. Burley tobacco production has also taken off since its production and marketing restrictions by smallholder farmers were lifted in the mid-1990s. 342
- Page 298 and 299: Table 5.29 - Percent of households
- Page 300 and 301: Table 5.34 - Crop disposal by type
- Page 302 and 303: Table 5.38 - Determinants of Market
- Page 304 and 305: Table 5.42 - Summary of expenditure
- Page 306 and 307: Table 5.45 - Food consumption by so
- Page 308 and 309: Table 5.47 - Percent of households
- Page 310 and 311: Table 5.49 - Percent of households
- Page 312 and 313: Table 5.51 - Food consumption by ex
- Page 314 and 315: Table 5.56 - Determinants of per ca
- Page 316 and 317: Table 5.59 Percent of households ow
- Page 318 and 319: Table 5.62 - Characteristics of the
- Page 320 and 321: Table 5.68 - Determinants of percei
- Page 322 and 323: Table 5.71 - Average yields per cro
- Page 324 and 325: Table 5.77 - Changes in the availab
- Page 326 and 327: Figure 5.1 Distribution of househol
- Page 328 and 329: Figure 5.7 - Percentage of Househol
- Page 330 and 331: CHAPTER 6 - SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AN
- Page 332 and 333: Fertilizer Half of the far
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- Page 336 and 337: Among those seeing improvement, the
- Page 338 and 339: Agricultural markets Three quart
- Page 340 and 341: The economic reforms have boosted p
- Page 342 and 343: department. The farms with very lit
- Page 344 and 345: Strengthen the extension service by
- Page 346 and 347: The most time-consuming agricultura
- Page 350 and 351: Small farmers in Malawi are mainly
- Page 352 and 353: households have less assets and les
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- Page 356 and 357: REFERENCES Ahoyo Adjovi, N.R. and F
About 62 percent of the households felt worse off in 1998 than in 1995. The main reason for this<br />
change was the higher cost of fertilizer.<br />
Another one-quarter of the households felt better off, mainly because they were growing more<br />
cash crops or earning money from non-farm work.<br />
The regression analysis of perceived changes in well-being suggest that the likelihood of feeling<br />
better off increases with expenditure levels, higher marketed surplus, larger family size, younger<br />
farmers and illiterate household heads.<br />
The most pertinent results from the community survey of 40 EPAs can be summarized as follows.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Between two-thirds and three-quarter of the EPAs reported higher agricultural production and<br />
higher marketed surplus since 1995.<br />
Road, communication and transport infrastructure are still poorly developed and road quality has<br />
deteriorated since 1995 for 40 percent of the EPAs.<br />
For most EPA markets, the frequency of operation, the volume traded, and the number of private<br />
traders has increased since 1995.<br />
ADMARC is still the dominant input supplier but private traders are now considered more<br />
important in crop marketing.<br />
6.5 Conclusions for Malawi<br />
Based on the above results, general observations from field work and review of other research, the<br />
following conclusions can be derived on the status of the smallholder sector following the reforms of the<br />
early to mid-1990s.<br />
The reforms have provided a boost to agricultural production. Both the survey results and<br />
figures from secondary sources indicate that agricultural production in the 1990s has increased<br />
significantly because of an expansion in land area cultivated and to a lesser extent, because of higher<br />
yields for some crops. Although maize and tobacco remain the dominant food and cash crop in Malawi,<br />
some diversification into other crops (such as cassava, potatoes, beans, and horticultural crops) has<br />
occurred. Burley tobacco production has also taken off since its production and marketing restrictions by<br />
smallholder farmers were lifted in the mid-1990s.<br />
342
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