Small holder farming in Africa — Lessons from the African regional symposium on small holder irrigation

The five main topics discussed at the African Regional Symposium on Small Holder Irrigation are reviewed in this paper. Particular attention is directed to those points raised during the meeting that are relevant to small holder agricultural development in general, and that may serve as a guide to rural development researchers, planners and implementers in South Africa and its independent and self‐governing national states.

The central theme of the various papers dealing with the design and selection of appropriate small holder schemes, country specific case studies, project evaluation and the role of farmers, was undoubtedly the need to involve farmers in a meaningful way throughout the entire process of project formulation and implementation.     

New agricultural development criteria: a proposal for project design and implementation

An environment conducive to a viable emerging agricultural sector is developing in South Africa, but it has yet to benefit most resource-poor producers. Some of the crucial constraints are accessibility and affordability of resources and services. Centrally managed agricultural projects as the main historical development model have largely failed to live up to the expectation that this would be the ‘cutting edge’ of development. This paper argues that the failure of these projects was partly due to four criteria for development not being sufficiently incorporated into project design and implementation: technical aspects of a project must be reconciled with social structures and realities; farmer diversity must be dealt with through focused support; business linkages must be structured and maintained; and skills development and participation must be institutionalised. Two of these criteria – dealing with diversity and facilitating participation – are elaborated on through a case study in the North West Province of South Africa. Typology analysis led to the identification of four distinct farmer types and this was followed by a Logical Framework planning process to develop a unique support strategy for each type. The objectives and activities required for each type are quantified. It is argued that this model, extending the project cycle to include the four new development criteria, constitutes a model for small farmer entrance into a competitive market.     

Perceptions of development approaches applied at Ncora irrigation scheme,Republic of Transkei

An investigation was carried out into the particular approach used in the development of the Ncora irrigation scheme, as well as into the policy makers’ perceptions of the approach used for possible implementation and the alternatives recommended, if any. It was found that the consultants’ development plan was based on a commercialization approach, but that in the implementation, a ‘top‐down’ approach was used, possibly because of farmer reaction and/or pressure from the consultants’ employers. The respondents recommended more of a participatory approach. A model has been proposed for determining farmer needs and perceptions.     

农地金融制度构建的目标、原则及路径选择

农地金融是农村金融体系和农地制度的重要组成部分。构建农地金融制度对于促进农地流转、农业发展和农民增收具有重要意义。农地金融制度的构建应遵循公平与效率兼顾的原则及政府支持下市场化运作的原则,路径选择方面应注意制度安排与制度环境相契合,次级制度优先、诱导基础性制度变迁。     

Government expenditure in the independent and self‐governing national states of Southern Africa: An evaluation

Various commentators recently drew attention to the expenditure and financing of the independent and self‐governing national states in Southern Africa. The inference has been drawn that this expenditure appears wasteful and ineffective and constitutes little more than a costly political luxury.

This article makes an attempt at evaluating government expenditure in the national states in terms of the type and level of expenditure, its benefit incidence, as well as its efficiency.

Expenditure of the governments of the national states is largely on collective or social goods and services and therefore of the type widely expected to be provided by governments. Since the benefit incidence of this expenditure is not confined within the borders of the national states, but spills over into South Africa, government expenditure by these states benefits the common integrated economic system of Southern Africa.

With regard to the levels of expenditure, indications are that expenditure in many instances is too low. Increased expenditure in some categories might well show significantly increasing returns.     

Black urbanisation

Black urbanisation in Southern Africa is a necessary condition for development but there are also many complicating factors such as the almost explosive increase in its expected magnitude over the next 20 years.

An essential starting point to deal with this situation will be to compile an integrated urbanisation and regional development strategy. Some of the factors that will have to receive attention in the design of such a strategy are fiscal sharing measures, the important role that the informal sector has to play, realistic housing standards, rural development programmes and an acceptable political and administrative dispensation for urban Blacks who live outside the self‐governing and independent states.     

What are the Determinants of Large‐scale Farming in China?

The Chinese Government has increased its focus on expanding farm scale to promote agricultural development since 2010. A series of favorable polices has been adopted to support large‐scale farming. Using a multivariate probit model and 2015 and 2016 rural household survey data, the present paper examines the factors that influence small farmers' decision to become large‐scale farmers. The empirical regression results suggest that the decision to become a large‐scale farmer is significantly influenced by household human capital, cooperative membership, marketing channels, land‐transfer contracts and government policies. However, the influence of these factors differs with respect to becoming large‐scale grain and non‐grain farmers. These results imply that policy tools should target these factors and the appropriate group of small‐scale farmers. Generally, both central and local governments should promote large‐scale farming by enhancing rural households' human capital, improving marketing channels and providing agricultural social services, as well as encouraging returning migrant workers to engage in large‐scale farming.     

农业产业化、乡镇企业和小城镇的关系探讨

乡镇企业的崛起、农业产业化经营的产生与发展和小城镇的繁荣是经济体制改革以来中国农村经济发展中非常引人注目的三大经济现象,也是推动中国农村工业化、农村城镇化和农业现代化进程的三大主要力量。但随着改革的深入和加入WTO带来的挑战,三者原来的优势逐渐削弱,在发展过程中出现很多矛盾和问题。因此,实现小城镇、乡镇企业和农业产业化同步协调发展成为解决这些问题的关键,也是整个国民经济持续、稳定、健康发展的客观要求。     

Agricultural economic research in less developed countries: A farm systems approach

Present efforts in agricultural development, at least at pronouncement level, are aimed directly or indirectly at the farmer, but unfortunately the supposed object of all these efforts is the least understood of all elements in development.

Meaningful agricultural development research should emphasise the central position of the farmer within his farming system. The farm systems approach to agricultural development research provides the methodological framework to facilitate such “farmer orientated” research. This article has as its object the introduction of the concept of Farm Systems Research (FSR) as a viable approach to effective research in less developed agriculture. Some thoughts are also expressed on the conduct of agricultural economic research within the FSR approach.     

Irrigation: Research and development∗

Some main features of proceedings of a 1985 workshop are presented. In Africa, irrigation has had limited success, and there have been many costly failures. Bureaucratic ineptitude, inadequate farmer incentives and participation, and gigantism are important causes. Technical, institutional and socio‐economic constraints complicate irrigation planning and development. Hydro‐agricultural projects have political, social, economic and ‘grey area’ objectives. Various ecological effects have in the past received insufficient attention. Crop and input selection should be based on the marginal principles of scarcity. In the long run, farmer settlement should veer towards individual tenure, although mixed modes can play a useful role. Water pricing systems should be adjusted to local conditions. Research should increasingly involve existing dynamic models as well as models still to be developed.     

Tenure security and productivity in small‐scale agriculture in Zimbabwe: Implications for South Africa

This article tests empirically the interaction between land tenure security and agricultural productivity in small‐scale agriculture in Zimbabwe. Data for the analysis were gathered during April and August of 1995 by means of an interview survey of farmers in the small‐scale commercial sector, communal area and Model A resettlement area of Zimbabwe. Two‐stage least squares regression estimates reveal that land tenure security has a positive and significant influence on investment incentives and agricultural productivity in the sample. This result has two important implications for proposed land reforms in South .. Africa. Firstly, the result lends support to the notion that indigenous tenure institutions in communal areas of South Africa are a constraint on agricultural development. Secondly, it is clear that a national land redistribution policy must be accompanied by innovative tenure institutions which facilitate economic interaction and internalise externalities on land resettled by individuals and groups. This is particularly important in South Africa where groups of up to 300 families are being settled on commercial farms under a group ownership model.     

刍议动力机制视角下的农民专业合作社可持续发展

农户基于自身的现实需要而寻求联合,与合作社领办人达成利益上的一致,这种利益上的诉求形成农民专业合作社可持续发展的内源性动力。中央政府和地方政府同样基于利益诉求不断给予农民专业合作社以各种扶持与推动措施,形成农民专业合作社可持续发展的外源性动力。而这种内、外源动力的关联点则是区域经济发展水平和农业产业化程度。基于这种动力机制,农民专业合作社有公司化、内涵式、融入式三种发展趋向。而要推动农民专业合作社可持续发展,则需要从统筹和完善农民专业合作社的政策扶持机制、以区域创新激发农民专业合作社的发展活力、规范和强化农民专业合作社的内部运行机制三个方面来进行着力。     

Political Development,Agriculture, and Ethnic Divisions: An African Perspective

Abstract: In this paper it is argued that political development is the key to long‐run growth in developing nations. Political development is seen to be dependent on the extent to which a state or ruling elite's income is earned or unearned. The availability of earned income is linked to the structure and productivity of the agricultural sector. Applying the analysis to the sub‐Saharan African experience involves taking into account three factors: the international environment, the ethnic division of societies as a result of colonization, and the urban bias which characterized the economic strategy of the newly independent African states. As a result, agriculture collapsed, the ruling elite became increasingly dependent on unearned income, political underdevelopment occurred. The collapse of state authority significantly impoverished the region and resulted in significant civil conflict. Any long‐run solution must incorporate a broad‐based expansion in agricultural productivity.     

皖西地区农产品比较优势分析

为了找准皖西地区农产品的比较优势,促进皖西地区农业的快速发展,笔者运用定量分析与定性分析相结合的方法,对皖西地区农产品的比较优势进行了测算与分析,得出了皖西地区的油菜籽、水稻、茶叶与全国平均水平相比具有比较优势,而小麦、棉花与全国平均水平相比具有比较劣势的结论,并据此提出了皖西地区农业发展的几点政策建议,试图为皖西地区农业的发展提供理论依据。     

农户农业科技采用及影响因素的实证分析——以湖北襄樊、枝江两市农户调查为例

文章采用问卷调查的方法,以湖北襄樊和枝江两市为例,对农户农业科技采用行为进行了实证分析,结果表明：农户在“技”与“物”两类不同农业科技的采用行为上存在较大的差异;农民的文化程度、农户的家庭收入结构、经营土地的规模、农业生产活动类型,对农户农业科技采用行为均产生显著的影响。     

Small‐family farm types: Examples from Northern Namibia and implications for agrarian reform in South Africa

Small‐farmer types in southern Africa differ significantly in terms of factor‐input patterns and support structures. On peasant family farms (PFF) cash input costs are very low, non‐household labour is sourced largely from communal work groups through kinship ties, and support services needed to sustain production are minimal. By contrast, on commercial family farms (CFF) cash input costs are high, little non‐family labour is used and strong support services are necessary. The first objective of this article is to point out and emphasise the different situations which exist in these two small‐family farm types, based on data from farm studies in Northern Namibia. The second objective is to extract the implications of these differences in relation to development paths under land reform. This is based on experiences of the outcome of land reform in Latin America. It is concluded that the agrarian situation in post‐land reform South Africa will comprise a mix of large‐scale commercial farms and small‐scale farms of both the PFF and CFF types. It will be necessary to recognise the existence of each of these types and their interrelationships, to monitor their development, to understand their different production situations and to cater for their different needs.     

日本认定农业者制度及其对我国的启示

日本认定农业者制度是旨在改善农业经营状况、推进农业规模经营、提高农业经营效率的重要农政改革措施。自1993年日本制定并推进该制度以来,政府对认定农业者重点实施了农业经营基础强化资金等低利融资制度、农地流转化对策及支援等措施,产生了良好的效果。研究、借鉴日本认定农业者制度对我国转变农业发展方式、培育家庭农场方面的启示意义。     

农民专业合作组织发展中的政府行为研究

随着我国农村经济体制改革的不断深入,由农民自发或由政府指导、推动的各种合作经济组织不断兴起并逐步发展壮大。但由于农业的弱质性特点,又决定着这些组织的发展存在着很多缺陷,需要外界的积极引导和支持,其中政府行为是不可或缺的重要因素。通过对政府在农民专业合作组织发展中所处的地位和作用方面的分析和阐述,着重强调政府应在立法规范、政策支持、组织管理和提高服务等方面给予大力支持和服务,从而达到促进农民专业合作组织健康发展的目的。     

城乡土地增减挂钩政策的现实困境及可能出路

城乡土地增减挂钩政策的实施,凸显了当前农村土地制度的焦点问题。然而,这一政策却在耕地保护、城市化、土地规模化经营、农村和农民权益保护方面遭遇了一系列难题。究其原因,乃是由于其未能关照＂农村稳定、农业发展、农民权益＂的三农问题多元价值体系,且未经系统考量和全面规划,并受利益驱动陷入了冒进的状态。有鉴于此,走出现实困境,应调整其基本指导思想,以维持农村稳定为基础,以维护农民权利,促进农村发展为根本,并着力完善管理监督机制。     

略论新中国建国初期的城乡物资交流

城乡物资交流的组织和开展,使城乡关系逐渐恢复正常,扩大了广大农村农副产品和土特产品的销路,提高了农民群众的购买力;促进了城市工商业的发展和趋向繁荣,增加了国家的税收,减少了财政上的困难,物价更稳定,对于建国初期国民经济的恢复和发展起了积极重要的作用。