ISHS Acta Horticulturae 21: I East African Horticultural Symposium
THE PLACE OF HORTICULTURE ON SMALL-SCALE FARMS |
| Author: | E.R. Watts |
| Abstract:
Developing countries are faced with the acute problem of finding more profitable enterprises for small-scale farms. Evidence from Japan (Fukutake, 1967) indicates that farm size may often fall even during a period of rapid industrialisation. While in many African countries land is available for large-scale farming developments, capital is limited. For many years to come the development of small-scale farming will be necessary to absorb surplus labour and maintain political stability. In most countries in Tropical Africa, farmers are constantly discouraged by seasonable overproduction of food crops leading to a serious fall in price. Many of the traditional cash crops such as coffee have limited possibilities for expansion. In many parts of the developing world there is an urgent need for diversification. Opportunities in this direction are limited and most of the easy alternative enterprises have already been taken up. In the future, crops with smaller markets, requiring stricter quality control or processing facilities are likely to offer the main scope for diversification. Most of these crops are likely to be those which come under the category of horticultural crops*. | |
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