CROP SELECTION

The main consideration in selecting the crops that are most suitable for smallholder production is of course the demands of the market - there is no point in producing something unless some one wants to buy it. However, among crops for which there is a sure demand some require agronomic practices or environmental controls which make them particularly suitable, or particularly unsuitable, for smallholder producers.

For example:

• export crops which are produced using agronomic techniques with which small farmers are already familiar (e.g. green beans, baby corn) are less likely to present difficulties than crops which are completely new to an area;
  
• crops which make full use of family labour and do not require large amounts of purchased inputs are more manageable for smallholders than crops which are best suited to mechanical cultivation and which need heavy applications of agro-chemicals;
  
• crops whose planting, weeding and harvesting dates come at periods of peak labour demand for other activities in the smallholder year (e.g. food crop planting, weeding or harvesting) are more difficult to fit into the smallholder farming system than crops whose peak labour needs come at an 'off season period' in the smallholder year.

More Information: Key Questions on Crop suitability