Constraints in the Smallholder Farming Systems of Zimbabwe

This paper reviews constraints to crop production, the status of technology development and future research needs of the smallholder farms in the semi-arid areas of Zimbabwe. ZIMBABWE'S agricultural industry consists of two major sectors; the large-scale commercial and the smallholder (communal) sectors. Prior to 1980 production from the communal sector was largely for subsistence requirements. However, its contribution to marketed maize output has increased from 8% in 1976 to 48% in 1986-88 while its proportion of cotton production rose from 22% to 50% over the same period (Table 1). Such advances clearly demonstrate that, given the appropriate technical and institutional support, communal farmers have the capacity and willingness to invest in expanding the country's agricultural production. Table 1. Proportion (%) of total crop delivered to official marketing outlets by sector, 1976-88. Crop Large-scale Communal Year commercial % farms areas'" Maize 1976-80 92 8 1981-85 69 31 1986-88 52 48 Cotton 1976-80 78 22 1981-85 61 39 1986-88 44 56 ---.----------------"'Includes deliveries from small-scale commercial farms and resettlement areas. Source: Agriucltural Marketing Authority and Central Statistical Office. '" Price Waterhouse Agriculture (Pvt) Ltd, Box 453, Harare, Zimbabwe 69 Unfortunately, this analysis becomes misleading when one considers that about 80% of the maize delivered by the smallholder sector to the Grain Marketing Board in 1985 came from only 20% of the one million communal area households i.e.those located in the higher rainfall environments (Natural Regions I and I1). The majority of farmers contribute very little because they live in the low rainfall areas (NRs III to V). Many of these farmers experience food shortages (both in terms of quality and quantity), particularly during drought years (Fig. I). Constraints to crop production in communal areas Communal areas of Zimbabwe are characterised by low levels of agricultural production and productivity. This is largely due to biophysical and socioeconomic problems in this sector. About 74% of the communal farmland is located in NRs IV and V which are characterised by low and erratic rainfall and a short growing season, and therefore are generally considered marginal for crop production (Vincent and Thomas 1960). The predominantly light textured soils are also less fertile than those found in the large-scale commercial sector. These soils have been extensively cropped with little or no addition of fertilisers, and thus are severely depleted of nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus (Mashiringwani 1983). Grant (1981) demonstrated that it was difficult to obtain good crop yields on these soils without regular applications of inorganic fertiliser, manure or lime. However, moisture shortages during the crop growth cycle limit the extent to which crops can respond to inorganic fertilisers on these soils (Mackenzie 1987).