The oilseeds subsector and household food insecurity in communal farming areas of Zimbabwe: a preliminary research proposal

A research paper on the oil-seed sub-sector vis-a-vis national food insecurity in the rural areas of Zimbabwe .The oil-seeds sub-sector is composed of cottonseed, soyabeans, groundnuts, and sunflowers. The sub-sector is targeted for expansion following recent government measures aimed at discouraging maize and sorghum production. The aim is to reduce maize production by at least 50 percent in the 1986-87 season. The reason for the new policy of agricultural diversification is the high cost of storing the 2.1 million tonne maize stockpile (January, 1987) which is equivalent to three years’ domestic sales of the Grain Marketing Board (GMB). The annual average storage cost of maize is approximately Z$24 million in 1986-87 alone. Consequently farmers are being encouraged to diversify into alternative non-grain crops such as oil-seeds.US Agency For International development (USAID

The Evolution And Performance Of The Zimbabwe Agricultural Research System - 1900 To 1980: A Case Study In Institution Building For Agricultural Development

An AEE Working Paper on the evolution and perfomance of Zimbabwe's Agricultural Research System.The objective of this paper is to trace the historical development of agricultural research in Zimbabwe from the colonial founding of the country to 1980. Emphasis will be on identifying or highlighting the pattern of development in institution building, research policy formulation and orientation. This will be done to show the interaction between technological change, institutional reform and economic goals and policies. Such an understanding is needed to improve research resource allocation. The paper will conclude by making an assessment of the performance and achievements of the national research system prior to 1980. This provides a basis for illustrating the task of the research system since independence and in future

Economic And Institutional Aspects Determining Pesticide Use In Smallholder Cotton Production In Zimbabwe: A Case Study Of Rushinga District, Mount Darwin

An AEE study to investigate the economics of and factors influencing pesticide use in smallholder cotton production; using Rushinga as a case study.The general objective of the study is to investigate the economics of and factors influencing pesticide use in smallholder cotton production using Rushinga as a case study. The study takes place at a time when there is growing concern about the increased use of pesticides in the developing countries and the associated externality problems. Gross margin analysis showed that pesticide use is financially profitable for the smallholder cotton producer. Gross margin per hectare averaged $3 173. Gross margin per dollar invested in pesticides and per labor day was$4,14 and $22,19 respectively. The study established that smallholder cotton farmers do not over-apply pesticides. Pesticide application rates for all types of chemicals applied falls short of the recommended application rates. This was consistent with expert assessment that there is under use of pesticides in the smallholder cotton production in Zimbabwe. Chemical control emerged as the major strategy available to and practiced by farmers to control pests in cotton production. Non chemical solutions to pest problems and integrated pest management (IPM) are virtually unknown to most of the farmers. The study established that there is lack of information on non-chemical methods at the farm level. Institutional factors such as credit and extension are the major factors enhancing pesticide use in the Zimbabwean agricultural sector. Virtually all the farmers in the sample received credit for the acquisition of pesticides and other inputs from COTTCO. Extension advice on pesticide use is largely provided by the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (COTTCO), which provides only chemical solutions to pest problems to smallholder cotton farmers. The role of public extension service in pesticide extension was found to be very limited. Externalities (poisoning and damage to the environment) of pesticide use are largely unknown at the farm level implying that externality costs are not taken into account in decision making on how much pesticides to use. The study recommends that policy instruments designed to provide information, education and training on pesticide use and the risks associated with pesticide use should be implemented in Zimbabwe. Integrated Pest Management should also be disseminated to the farm level through active public extension service. Detailed research on pesticide productivity in cotton production is necessary

A Farm Level Evaluation Of The Impact Of IPM On Pesticide Use: A Comparative Analysis Of IPM And Non-IPM Trained Farmers In Zimbabwe’s Smallholder Sector

An AEE Working Paper on the application of IPM in rural agricultural development in Zimbabwe.Smallholder farmers constitute the majority of farmers in Zimbabwe. Their production systems are predominately subsistence based, in which maize accounts for over 65% of the cultivated area. Horticultural production has steadily grown to become an important additional source of income for smallholder farmers who are being encouraged to diversify to the production of high value crops. Tomatoes are an important crop grown by smallholder horticulture farmers. Tomato production is vulnerable to pests and disease outbreaks. Currently, pest management in tomato production is characterized by a heavy dependence on chemical pesticides. Chemical pesticides are viewed as a quick and easy solution to pest problems. In Zimbabwe, and in many developing countries, chemical pesticides receive a substantial amount of government support as they are seen as the main means of reducing crop losses. However, there is mounting evidence of the negative effects of chemical pesticides on human health and the environment. Toxic substances can accumulate in the ecosystem and have a detrimental effect on non-target organisms. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) promotes the use of all known\ (biological and cultural) environmentally benign pest control measures. Farmers are encouraged to integrate the various biological and cultural methods such that chemicals are used minimally and very judiciously. In Zimbabwe, very few farmers have had exposure to IPM because it has not been widely promoted. Given an increase in cost of agricultural inputs (including chemical pesticides) in Zimbabwe, there could be scope for wider adoption of IPM. This study presents a preliminary assessment of the impact of IPM technology on farmers’ pest control practices, perceptions of chemical pesticides, and knowledge of non-chemical pest control alternatives. The study involved a comparative analysis of 84 non-IPM trained smallholder tomato growers and 36 IPM trained smallholder tomato growers. The farmers were surveyed in 1999 in Chinamora communal area, a horticulture farming area 50 km to the North -east of Harare. The study findings indicate some promising implications for wider adoption of IPM by smallholder farmers. IPM training had a positive influence on farmers’ knowledge level of pests and health hazards of chemical pesticides and a negative influence on the amounts of chemical pesticides used. IPM trained farmers spent 57.5 % less on chemical pesticides than farmers not trained in IPM Nearly all (99%) IPM trained farmers knew of the five major pests of tomatoes compared to 76% of the non-IPM trained farmers. More IPM trained farmers knew and used\alternatives to chemical pesticides to control pests. IPM trained farmers anticipated yield losses of\60% due to pest damage compared to 95% perceived by non-IPM trained farmers. IPM trained farriers were more aware of both the acute and the chronic illnesses associated with exposure to chemical pesticides than non- IPM trained farmers: 80% of IPM trained farmers compared to 5% of the non-IPM trained farmers were aware. The study concludes that policy makers should encourage the use of a pest management strategy that is information based such as IPM. This will improve the smallholders’ effective use of chemical pesticides increasing their profitability and will raise the farmers’ awareness of the health hazards of chemical pesticides

An Analysis Of Crop Diversification, Food Security And Adoption Of Sustainable Soil And Moisture Conservation Tillage Practices By Smallholder Farmers In Zimbabwe: A Case Study Of Kandeya Communal Land

AEE Working Paper.This paper is based on an empirical case study quantifying the relationship between soil and moisture conservation practices, food and cash crop production and farm household welfare-food security and household income. The study tests the hypothesis that intensive agricultural production on the basis of cash crop production and application of soil and moisture conservation practices increase the land/iabour productivity with positive effects on household food output and income. The results confirm that sustainable cropping systems and management practices are profitable and improve household food security and incomes at the farm level. This provides a basis for wide spread adoption by the small farmers

Urban Agriculture, Food Security and the Environment: Socio-economics, Land Use Conflicts and Cultivators’ Views

A DAEE working paper on urban agricultural activities in Zimbabwe.Crop production on open municipal and undeveloped lands has become a significant source of the food security and indirectly sources of household cash income generation or savings. Advent of economic reforms has exacerbated urban agriculture. This is because of the removal of subsidies on food commodities and retrenchments in the formal employment sectors. These have in turn contributed to falling real incomes and reduced food security status of urban households. Urban cultivation had become an important strategy through which families cope with the impact of the economic structure adjustment programme. Though a widespread practice, urban agriculture is not planned for or supported by other planners and managers as a legitimate form of urban land use. Urban agriculture comes into direct conflict with planning provisions for urban space. This study examines the socio-economics of urban crop on municipal lands, cultivators’ views and perceptions on the use of urban space for agricultural activities and related issues in Harare, Zimbabwe. Urban agriculture is used for subsistence maize production. It improves food grain availability, thus increasing household food security and real incomes available for other household requirements as contributes to savings on food expenditure. This is the incentive for cultivation on undeveloped urban land spaces. The study gives empirical insight on the uses of urban space for agricultural activities from the cultivators' perspectives. The findings of the study also show that there is a serious problem of lack of concern for the environment on the part of the cultivators. The majority of the cultivators were aware of but ignored the steam bank regulations. There was general lack of knowledge about the environmental effects of cultivation on the urban environment. Given the importance of urban agriculture to the cultivators and the concern on the environmental impacts, there is need to design extension programmes through which the cultivators would be provided with advice on proper land use husbandry

Cost-effectiveness of easy-access, risk-informed oral pre-exposure prophylaxis in HIV epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa: a modelling study.

BACKGROUND: Approaches that allow easy access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), such as over-the-counter provision at pharmacies, could facilitate risk-informed PrEP use and lead to lower HIV incidence, but their cost-effectiveness is unknown. We aimed to evaluate conditions under which risk-informed PrEP use is cost-effective. METHODS: We applied a mathematical model of HIV transmission to simulate 3000 setting-scenarios reflecting a range of epidemiological characteristics of communities in sub-Saharan Africa. The prevalence of HIV viral load greater than 1000 copies per mL among all adults (HIV positive and negative) varied from 1·1% to 7·4% (90% range). We hypothesised that if PrEP was made easily available without restriction and with education regarding its use, women and men would use PrEP, with sufficient daily adherence, during so-called seasons of risk (ie, periods in which individuals are at risk of acquiring infection). We refer to this as risk-informed PrEP. For each setting-scenario, we considered the situation in mid-2021 and performed a pairwise comparison of the outcomes of two policies: immediate PrEP scale-up and then continuation for 50 years, and no PrEP. We estimated the relationship between epidemic and programme characteristics and cost-effectiveness of PrEP availability to all during seasons of risk. For our base-case analysis, we assumed a 3-monthly PrEP cost of US$29 (drug$11, HIV test $4, and$14 for additional costs necessary to facilitate education and access), a cost-effectiveness threshold of $500 per disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) averted, an annual discount rate of 3$100 per DALY averted, a discount rate of 7% per annum, the use of PrEP outside of seasons of risk, and reduced uptake of risk-informed PrEP. FINDINGS: In the context of PrEP scale-up such that 66% (90% range across setting-scenarios 46-81) of HIV-negative people with at least one non-primary condomless sex partner take PrEP in any given period, resulting in 2·6% (0·9-6·0) of all HIV negative adults taking PrEP at any given time, risk-informed PrEP was predicted to reduce HIV incidence by 49% (23-78) over 50 years compared with no PrEP. PrEP was cost-effective in 71% of all setting-scenarios, and cost-effective in 76% of setting-scenarios with prevalence of HIV viral load greater than 1000 copies per mL among all adults higher than 2%. In sensitivity analyses with a $100 per DALY averted cost-effectiveness threshold, a 7% per year discount rate, or with PrEP use that was less well risk-informed than in our base case, PrEP was less likely to be cost-effective, but generally remained cost-effective if the prevalence of HIV viral load greater than 1000 copies per mL among all adults was higher than 3%. In sensitivity analyses based on additional setting-scenarios in which risk-informed PrEP was less extensively used, the HIV incidence reduction was smaller, but the cost-effectiveness of risk-informed PrEP was undiminished. INTERPRETATION: Under the assumption that making PrEP easily accessible for all adults in sub-Saharan Africa in the context of community education leads to risk-informed use, PrEP is likely to be cost-effective in settings with prevalence of HIV viral load greater than 1000 copies per mL among all adults higher than 2%, suggesting the need for implementation of such approaches, with ongoing evaluation. FUNDING: US Agency for International Development, US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

An Analysis Of Crop Diversification, Food Security And Adoption Of Sustainable Soil And Moisture Conservation Tillage Practices By Smallholder Farmers In Zimbabwe: A Case Study Of Kandeya Communal Land

This paper is based on an empirical case study quantifying the relationship between soil and moisture conservation practices, food and cash crop production and farm household welfare-food security and household income. The study tests the hypothesis that intensive agricultural production on the basis of cash crop production and application of soil and moisture conservation practices increase the land/iabour productivity with positive effects on household food output and income. The results confirm that sustainable cropping systems and management practices are profitable and improve household food security and incomes at the farm level. This provides a basis for wide spread adoption by the small farmers

PLANNING AND EVALUATING AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN ZIMBABWE: A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT AND RESEARCH PROPOSAL

Agricultural research has enormous potential for improving Sub-Saharan African countries' agricultural performance, thereby, stimulating agricultural growth and development. For this potential to be realized, clear policy action is required to accelerate the generation and adoption of new technologies. This calls for, in the first place, evaluation of past research efforts to expose weaknesses that need to be redressed. Secondly, if agricultural research is to contribute positively to agricultural development, research resources have to be allocated efficiently among competing research program alternatives. This requires an informed decision-making tool. This study examined the evolution and performance of agricultural research in Zimbabwe up to 1980. A preliminary qualitative assessment showed that agricultural research contributed significantly to the agricultural development of the country. Crop and livestock research programs initiated in the early 1920's resulted in an increase in crop area and yield as well as livestock productivity. Indigenous improved crop varieties and livestock species adapted to the agro-physical environment have been developed. Research outcome was more spectacular in the large scale commercial farming sector because, prior to 1980, investments in research and extension were biased towards this sector. An evaluation and planning framework proposed in the study is aimed at developing a research resource allocation decision tool that evaluated agricultural research periodically with the results used as a basis for resource allocation and research management

Urban Agriculture, Food Security and the Environment: Socio-economics, Land Use Conflicts and Cultivators’ Views

Crop production on open municipal and undeveloped lands has become a significant source of the food security and indirectly sources of household cash income generation or savings. Advent of economic reforms has exacerbated urban agriculture. This is because of the removal of subsidies on food commodities and retrenchments in the formal employment sectors. These have in turn contributed to falling real incomes and reduced food security status of urban households. Urban cultivation had become an important strategy through which families cope with the impact of the economic structure adjustment programme. Though a widespread practice, urban agriculture is not planned for or supported by other planners and managers as a legitimate form of urban land use. Urban agriculture comes into direct conflict with planning provisions for urban space. This study examines the socio-economics of urban crop on municipal lands, cultivators’ views and perceptions on the use of urban space for agricultural activities and related issues in Harare, Zimbabwe. Urban agriculture is used for subsistence maize production. It improves food grain availability, thus increasing household food security and real incomes available for other household requirements as contributes to savings on food expenditure. This is the incentive for cultivation on undeveloped urban land spaces. The study gives empirical insight on the uses of urban space for agricultural activities from the cultivators' perspectives. The findings of the study also show that there is a serious problem of lack of concern for the environment on the part of the cultivators. The majority of the cultivators were aware of but ignored the steam bank regulations. There was general lack of knowledge about the environmental effects of cultivation on the urban environment. Given the importance of urban agriculture to the cultivators and the concern on the environmental impacts, there is need to design extension programmes through which the cultivators would be provided with advice on proper land use husbandry