Planning for Drought in Mozambique: Balancing the Roles of Food Aid and Food Markets

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Directorate of Economics, Republic of Mozambiquefood security, food policy, Mozambique, food aid, Food Security and Poverty, Q18,

Some Characteristics of Pro-poor Growth, and Policy Implications for Mozambique

Resultados das investigações do Departamento de Análise de Políticas MADER-Direcção de Economíafood security, food policy, Mozambique, pro-poor growth, poverty reduction, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Security and Poverty, Q18,

Regional Trade and the Economic Development of Northern Mozambique

Resultados das investigações do Projecto de Segurança Alimentar em Moçambique MAP-Direcção de Economíafood security, food policy, Mozambique, economic development, International Relations/Trade, Q18,

Prices Paid to Cotton Farmers: How Does Zambia Compare to its African Neighbors?

1. Zambia has paid among the best nominal seed cotton prices to farmers in SSA since 1995. 2. By a more refined measure (share of FOT), during 1995-1999, Zambia paid prices comparable to those in Tanzania (a very competitive sector), and substantially higher than in Mozambique and WCA. However, from 2000-2005, Zambia's pricing performance fell, and exceeded only Zimbabwe and Mozambique in our sample 3. The recently announced reference price for 2008 of ZKW 1,200/kg of seed cotton was negotiated and jointly announced by ginners and farmers. It amounts to about 53% of FOT at current exchange rates and Index A prices; about equal to recent shares received by farmers in Zambia, but well below levels in WCA and Tanzania. 4. What “rules of the game” are needed for farmers and ginners to continue working together so that the costs and benefits in Zambia’s cotton sector are shared equitably?food security, food policy, Zambia, cotton, Crop Production/Industries, Q20,

Urgent Need for Effective Public-Private Coordination in Zambia’s Cotton Sector. Deliberations on the Cotton Act.

Cotton is an unquestioned success of Zambia’s turn towards a market economy. Yet the entry over the past two years of new players has put the sector under great stress and may have pushed it to a turning point. Now more than ever, effective “rules of the game” are urgently needed to protect Zambia’s remarkable cotton success story. Other countries in southern and eastern Africa have seen dramatic declines in input credit and extension to farmers, and in cotton quality, when competition among ginning firms intensified in the absence of suitable rules of the game. The focus in Zambia must be on establishing broadly accepted rules of the game that ensure honest competition that does not undermine input credit, extension, and cotton quality.food security, food policy, Zambia, cotton, production, marketing, Crop Production/Industries, Q20,

Developing Cost Effective Methods for Estimating Household Income and Nutrient Intake Adequacy

Community/Rural/Urban Development, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Downloads July 2008 - July 2009: 6,

How are Vegetables Marketed into Lusaka? The Structure of Lusaka’s Fresh Produce Marketing System and Implications for Investment Priorities.

Key findings regarding the structure of trade for tomato, rape, and onion into Lusaka are (a) regional trade is an important part of Zambia’s fresh produce system, (b) supply chains for tomato, rape, and onion are short, (c) the role of the modern market system is very small, and (d) the role of urban agriculture in supplying Lusaka markets for these vegetables is also small, though it is meaningful in the case of rape. Main policy implications from this and related work are that (a) investments and policies to promote regional trade are relevant for the horticultural sector, not just food staples, (b) the traditional market system needs improved hard infrastructure linked to more collaborative public/private management models and improved coordination in the supply chains, and (c) more programmatic emphasis should be placed on helping existing traders scale-up and gain better access to information to do their job more effectively.Africa, vegetables, Zambia, produce, marketing, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Food Security and Poverty, Marketing,

On the Role of Government in Food Staples Markets: Perspectives from Recent Research and Implications for Mozambique

This brief reviews results of applied research regarding the role of government in staple food markets in East and Southern Africa. The purpose of the brief is to draw lessons for Mozambique as it decides how to use the grain storage silos it has been building since 2009. The authors suggest that: Mozambique is in an unusually strong position to take advantage of private sector activity to stabilize prices over time and space; Additional investment in road and rail infrastructure, incentives, and institutions, would help bring down transaction costs and allow private action to further stabilize prices; Additional stabilization, for those times when Mozambique has to rely on imports from the world market beyond what they normally make, could be obtained in a cost efficient manner using a financial reserve; and If the government chooses also to maintain a public physical reserve, then several conditions (listed in the brief) are necessary for operating this in a manner that improves market performance.Africa, Mozambique, food security, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, Community/Rural/Urban Development, International Development, Marketing, q18, q13, q12,

Why are Fresh Produce Prices So Unstable in Lusaka? Insights for Policy and Investment Priorities.

Daily quantities of tomato, rape and onion entering Soweto market in Lusaka fluctuate dramatically. The market does a remarkable job of moderating the impact on prices of these unstable quantities, through stabilizing mechanisms such as short-term storage of tomato and rape by traders and consumers, longer-term storage of onion by traders, direct sourcing of rape from farm areas by retail traders, and exportation of tomato and onion outside Lusaka. Yet even with these stabilizing mechanisms, wholesale prices are highly variable, with negative effects on farmers and consumers. Reducing variability requires investments in four areas: (a) improved control of production environments by farmers through irrigation, better access to inputs and greater agronomic knowledge, (b) improved vertical flow of information from farmers to traders to brokers to retailers, (c) a regulatory framework for broker activity to improve trust and information flow between brokers and sellers, and (d) improved market infrastructure.Produce, Zambia, Africa, Agricultural and Food Policy, Food Security and Poverty, Marketing,

Zambian Cotton in a Regional Context: Performance under Liberalization and Future Challenges

This paper is directed toward policy makers and private stakeholders in Zambia’s cotton sector. Its purpose is: 1) to assess key elements of the performance of Zambia’s cotton sector relative to other selected African countries; 2) to develop preliminary insights into the driving forces behind Zambia’s performance and also the threats to improved future performance; and 3) to identify key issues within the sector that merit continued applied research and dialogue with stakeholders.food security, food policy, Zambia, cotton, Crop Production/Industries, Q18,