Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
1. Investigating institutional constraints to smallholder
development: the issues and antecedents
Ajuruchukwu Obi and Tebogo Seleka
Abstract
Smallholder farming in Southern Africa has been on the decline in recent years as a result
of a combination of institutional, climatic and macro-economic constraints. This has led
to some of the worst food and humanitarian crisis in recent years, culminating in drastic
food shortages and famines and deepening poverty. Governments and the development
community are therefore concerned about the current and potential consequences of this
state-of-affairs and are exploring ways and means to reverse the situation. There is increasing
awareness about the role of institutions in smallholder development in the region and
elsewhere on the continent. But consensus as to what specific institutions are crucial or
even how they exert their influence has not yet been achieved despite a considerable amount
of theoretical information now available on the subject. This chapter begins the task of
defining the broad outlines of a more focused study on the role of institutions in small
farmer situations in Southern Africa and proposes an analytical framework consolidated
from a wide range of expert views and opinions. Brief descriptions of the diverse studies
that fit that framework are provided to attempt to contribute to a debate on the feasible
procedures for undertaking a comprehensive analysis of the institutional constraints faced
by the small farmer in relation to market access and exploring the competitiveness of the
small-scale agriculture in the region.
1.1 Introduction
The initial case for investigating the institutional constraints to smallholder development
was pivoted on the reality that smallholder farming in Southern Africa was going through
one of its toughest times in history. The scale of the problem was virtually unknown in
contemporary experience. The conviction drew largely from literature as well as practical
experience with the development terrain in the region as the transition into the new
Millennium began. In June, 2001, a joint UN Mission to Lesotho reported a decline in the
cereal production in the order of 55% below previous year results and 60% below average
results for the 5 years preceding the mission ( Joint UN Mission, 2001). Heavy rains and
other unfavourable weather conditions coinciding with the planting and harvesting of both
winter and summer crops in 2001, severely dislocated the sector's investment profile and
created unprecedented deficits as most fields were uncultivated and most crops could not
be harvested. By 2002, this situation had placed about 444,800 persons in at least 3 districts
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