A green revolution betrayed? Seed technology and small-scale maize farmers in Zimbabwe

Figures & data

Figure 1: Maize deliveries by African and European farmers to Grain Marketing Board 1955–1965

Table 1: Mean production, maize tobacco and cottonseed: 1970–75, 1980–86, 1995–2000

	Commercial sector			Communal sector
	1970–75	1980–86	1995–2000	1970–75	1980–86	1995–2000
Area planted to maize ('000 ha)	315	278	185	645	1040	1259
Production ('000 mt)	1296	1069	779	384	865	1059
Yield (kg/ha)	4104	3808	4224	578	836	840
Area planted to Burley tobacco('000 ha)	n\a	1.5	2.2	n\a	1	4.3
Production ('000 mt)	n\a	2.5	3.9	n\a	0.9	4.1
Yield (kg/ha)	n\a	1705	1696	n\a	848	970
Area planted to cottonseed('000 ha)	81	72	47	34	76	250
Production ('000 mt)	126	137	78	27	56	170
Yield (kg/ha)	1590	1894	1629	798	713	658
Source: CSO (2001).

Figure 2: Increasing the extensive margin: Land area cultivated (Zimbabwe 1970–2001)

Table 2: Zimbabwean fertiliser use and risk (pre- and post-independence)

	1970–75(pre-independence)	1980–86 (immediate post-independence)	1995–2000
Price instability index^a	9.6	11.5	13.0
Fertiliser consumption (mt)	140	154	170
Fertiliser consumption (kg/ha)	57.4	58.2	52.9
Price of ammonium nitrate fertiliser(nominal Z$/mt)	n\a	306^b	3415
Price of ammonium nitrate fertiliser(constant 2000 Z$/mt)	n\a	98^b	77
AN price: Maize price	n\a	2^b	1.5
AFC short-term loans(constant 2000Z$ million)	1770	4032	2834
Government agricultural expenditure(constant 2000 Z$ million)	3981	5562	2717
Rainfall (mm – national average)	791.88	741.66	773.28
Drought years (<= 500 mm)	1 (1973)	1 (1987)	1 (1995)
^aThe price instability index is defined by UNCTAD (2004:13), *** where y(t) is the exponential trend of prices and Y(t) is the actual price. The index is calculated for each year and then averaged over the specific period. ^bFigure for 1982–86 only.
Sources: CSO (1987, 2001); World Bank (2007); FAO (2009); Zimbabwe Meteorological Services (2009).

Figure 3: Short-term credit extension, fertiliser supply and fertiliser consumption

Figure 1A: Zimbabwe estimated national mean maize yield per hectare, 1960–2008

Figure 2A: Maize production and area harvested: 1980–2008

Figure 3A: Zimbabwe, area planted to tobacco 1981–2003

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