Fases de la Adolescencia

Chapter 3 showed that smallholder-farming households across different land holdings in Shamva District have diversified cropping patterns with most farmers growing two crops. Maize, the staple crop, dominated the crop mix, accounting for above 60% of the total cultivated area. The smallholder sector grew tobacco as a major cash crop. Statistically significant differences in average area under cash crops were realised across the different land tenure regimes. Resettled farmers allocated more land to cash crop production than did communal area farmers. Smallholder farmers in Shamva District consider themselves as having access to most of the agricultural services such as output markets, inputs and extension. However, there is very little financial support for production of all crops in the smallholder sector. There were no significant differences in access to agricultural and support services between resettled and communal farmers. In this regard, policy implications intervention should target production of maize and tobacco as the major crops in the area. The dominance of the staple crop maize in terms of area covered shows that though farmers grow cash crops they exercise some caution This indicates that smallholder farmers mainly depend on own food production to ensure household food security .

The empirical results from Chapter 5 implored that on average smallholder farmers sold less than half of their gross crop value, suggesting limited commercialisations across the sample. Household characteristics, resource endowments and access to agricultural services determined commercialisation. Male-headed households were more commercialised than female-headed households, possibly because females have less access to productive resources and may shun cash crops, which are labour intensive. Older farmers were less likely to commercialise than younger farmers as the former are considered more risk averse and are likely to grow less cash crops. Access to agricultural services (extension, finance, markets and draft power) had a positive impact on commercialisation. Access to agricultural services promotes use of technology, inputs and information thereby resulting in increased productivity and marketable surplus. Labour is an important factor of production in agriculture. Cash crops such as tobacco are labour demanding therefore, size of household labour positively influences commercialisation. Commercialisation is attained through production of cash crops or generation of surplus food crop. The policy implication is that favourable health conditions in the agricultural industry should be promoted in order to maximize labour availability for

agricultural production. Commercialisation decreased with an increase in farm income, implying that farmers with other sources of income are likely to grow fewer cash crops and less surplus food crops. The major question answered by this study is on how different factors such a resource endowments and household characteristics and supporting structure influence farming decisions, particularly the decision to commercialise or not.

Empirical evidence from Chapter 5 shows that cash crop production positively impacted household food security. This was due to the income effect of cash crop sales on food security. Farmers had more economic access to food using the cash crop sales. The results also showed quantity of maize harvested, livestock units, squared household size, and labour, access to finance, access to markets and access to draft power as positively affecting household food security. Considering that maize is the staple crop in Zimbabwe, the quantity of maize harvested ensures attainment of household food security. Whilst the evidence supports attainment of food security through increased cash crop production, a diversified cropping pattern is more suitable as highlighted from the cropping patterns of smallholder farmers. The importance of both food crops (quantity of maize harvested) and cash crops in determining household food implies that cash crop production should not replace food crop production completely.

Empirical evidence from Chapter 6 identified the household main sources of farm income as crop sale, livestock sale and vegetable sale. The main sources of non-farm income were remittances, salaries, wages, pension and trading (including petty trade, small-medium businesses). Household descriptive statistics showed significant differences in mean household income between male and female-headed households. Male-headed households had significantly higher income from cash crop sales than the female-headed. The main component of expenditure was food, accounting for as much as 62% of total household expenditure. The household characteristics, i.e. household size and dependants’ ratio, positively affected food expenditure. However, age of household head negatively influenced food expenditure. Older household heads are more risk averse and spent less on food. Larger households have higher food demand thus an increase in household size results in increased food consumption. Income from cash crop sales, food crop sales, livestock sales and non-farm activities had a positive impact on food expenditure. Therefore, cash crop production is important in promoting food demand-led agricultural growth.

The empirical evidence in this study shows that cash crop production is important in improving household income, which is used important in purchasing household food. Therefore, the study contribute to agricultural and rural development by offering policy instruments on improving agricultural production, food security and demand led economic growth.