Policy issues in the small grains sector of Southern Africa

Policy issues in the small grains sector of Southern Africa

Descripción

Sorghum, finger millet, and pearl millet have traditionally provided food, employment, and income for a substantial portion of the population, particularly smallholder producers, in the vast arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) of sub-Saharan Africa. Historical trends, however, show that these grains are declining in absolute and relative importance in terms of production and consumption, and thus also in terms of income and employment in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Such a decline cannot be explained solely in terms of constraints imposed by climate, soil, and production technology. For example, farmers have been successful in increasing production of maize, a less well-adapted crop, in the ASALs. This situation has not yet been well explained nor addressed in policy decisions and is producing unease in many areas of government, among researchers working in this subsector, and among donors concerned with food security, income, and employment issues.