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KEY QUESTIONS ON SUITABILITY OF CROPS FOR SMALLHOLDER
PRODUCTION
| 1. |
Does production of the crop make full use of smallholder family labour
and skills?
Considerations |
| 2. |
Does the crop require large quantities of purchased inputs (costly
seeds, fertilizers, agrochemicals)?
Considerations |
| 3. |
Is the crop production technology well known and tested and relatively
risk free?
Considerations |
| 4. |
Is the crop compatible with other components of the smallholder production
system?
Considerations |
| 5. |
Does production of the crop strengthen or weaken women's social and
economic position?
Considerations |
| 6. |
Does production of the crop add to risks of environmental degradation?
Considerations |
| 7. |
Is the profit that farmers can earn from the crop comparable to what
they could earn from other enterprises?
Considerations |
Related
Information:
Case studies show the effects of both suitable
and unsuitable crop selection.
CONSIDERATIONS
| 1. |
Does production of the crop make full use of smallholder
family labour and skills?
Considerations
Crops which benefit from intensive personal care and
attention are usually more suitable for smallholder production than
those which are better grown extensively under mechanization. |
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| 2. |
Does the crop require large quantities of purchased
inputs (costly seeds, fertilizers, agrochemicals)?
Considerations
A crop requiring large quantities of purchased inputs is probably
less suitable for smallholders, since they lack easy access to credit,
are reluctant to take on debts, and are less easy to monitor than
large-scale farmers. |
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| 3. |
Is the crop production technology well known and
tested and relatively risk free?
Considerations
Crops which are well known to smallholders (eg green beans, sweet
corn) are more suitable than 'new' crops like chillies which are susceptible
to pests and diseases and may have production risks still to be sorted
out. |
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| 4. |
Is the crop compatible with other components of
the smallholder production system?
Considerations
A
crop whose peak labour or land requirement competes with labour or
land that is needed for food production or other important activities
is less suitable than one which uses land or labour that would otherwise
be under-utilized.
A
crop which provides a beneficial break in the normal crop rotation
(e.g. fixing nitrogen or helping integrated pest management) is
ideal for smallholder production. It is important that the views
of both male and female household members are taken into account,
as they play different roles in managing the household and are likely
to have different views on how the new activity fits.
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| 5. |
Does
production of the crop strengthen or weaken women's social and economic
position?
Considerations
The
introduction of the new crop may mean that there is less labour
and land for subsistence food production, which is often the role
of women in the household.
A
product which places great demands on women's and children's labour
may not be good for smallholders unless the benefits are sure to
be shared within the family.
A
crop which brings income through much of the year (e.g. tea, milk,
beans, bananas) is usually preferable to one harvested only once
in the year (e.g. coffee, sugarcane, mangoes) since a phased income
can be more easily managed and distributed than a single lump sum
payment.
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| 6. |
Does production of the crop add to risks of environmental
degradation?
Considerations
If the crop leaves residues which are difficult to dispose of,
or if it needs heavy investment to ensure sustainable use of fragile
natural resources, it may be more suitable for commercial than for
smallholder production. |
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| 7. |
Is
the profit that farmers can earn from the crop comparable to what
they could earn from other enterprises?
Considerations
The net profit at expected production costs, yields and prices
must be comparable to what could be earned from alternative uses of
family land and labour. |
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