Agricultural Productivity In Zimbabwe Essay

Agricultural productivity” may be defined in general terms as the ratio of the value of total farm outputs to the value of total inputs used in farm production (Olayide and Heady, 1982). Since one of the main objectives of any society is the attainment of an optimal standard of living with a given amount of effort, any increase in productivity of resources employed in farm production amounts to an increase in the standard of living.

FAO (2002), Food production in Zimbabwe, previously the breadbasket of the Southern African region, has remained below subsistence levels since 2000. “Eighty-five per cent of the country is agricultural land, and the balance is occupied by national parks, forests and urban settlements” (World Bank, 1999). The country

There was a drop in earnings of 12.1% in 2001 and a further 22% in 2002, (FAO 2006). The amount of rainfall has traditionally been the determining factor in Zimbabwe's agricultural productivity. Most growing seasons over the past decade in Zimbabwe were affected by a regional drought. The reduction in yield and output at farm level led to a shortfall in production to meet annual food requirements. This, coupled with GOZ-sanctioned farm invasions, that grossly reduced production, has caused domestic production of the food staple maize to fall drastically over the past decade.

Zimbabwe has a broad-based economy with three major productive sectors namely agriculture, mining and manufacturing (World Bank, 1999). Although accounting for only 18% of Zimbabwe’s gross domestic product (in 1996), the agricultural sector remains the backbone of the economy and society (World Bank, 1998). It provided income and employment for 75% of the population accounting for some 45% of the country’s merchandise exports and being the focus of a large share of the country's domestic trade and transport

Food exports account for 13.6% of the total exports of the country. Tobacco is one of the country's big three (with gold and ferrochrome) foreign exchange earners. Its export accounted for US$532 million in 1998 (World Bank, 1999). Food production is on a gradual decreasing trend in Zimbabwe with sharp decline in 2003. The fluctuations in production reflect the vulnerability of Zimbabwe to climatic changes. The drought affected the production in 1991/1992, 1994/1995 and 2002 resulting in reduction in crop yields especially sugar, maize, seed cotton and