Economic modelling and simulation analysis of maize-based smallholder farming systems in the Senqu River Valley agroecological zone, Lesotho

Figures & data

Figure 1. Yield of 30 years of the selected major crops of Lesotho.

Source: (FAOSTAT, 2020).

Figure 2. Study conceptual framework.

Table 1. Seeding and fertilizer rates recommended by the department of crop services

Crop	Seeding rate (kg/ha)	Fertilizer name	Fertilizer rate (kg/ha)
Maize	15−20	3:2:1 (25)/6:2:1 (31)	300
Sorghum	4–12	3:2:1 (25)/6:2:1 (31)	300
Peas	35–40	2:3:2 (22)	300
Beans	35–40	2:3:2 (22)	300

Source: Department of Crops Services Lesotho, unpublished data.

Figure 3. Map of the study area.

Source: Ministry of Forestry GIS Office Lesotho, unpublished data.

Table 2. Socio-economic characteristics of the studied farming households in SRV

n = 12
General characteristics of the participants	Frequency	Percentage
Household head
Male	8	66.67
Female	4	33.33
Age of household head
< 55 years	1	8.33
≥55 and ≤65 years	7	58.33
> 65 years	4	33.33
Average (min–max)	64 (42–84) years
Marital status
Single	1	8.33
Married	3	25.00
Separated/Widowed	8	66.67
Household head education
None	3	25.00
Primary	8	66.67
Secondary	1	8.33
Household head source of income
Farming	2	16.67
Farming and casual labour and/or remittance	6	50.00
Farming and elderly pension grant	4	33.33
Household head monthly income
< $26.60	4	33.33
≥$26.60 and ≤$39.93	4	33.33
> $39.93	4	33.33
Average (min–max)	35.49 (13.33–46.67) $
Total household monthly income
< $33.27	5	41.67
≥$33.27 and ≤$66.60	3	25.00
>$66.60	4	33.33
Average (min–max)	44.44 (13.33–86.67) $
Household size
1–2 members	4	33.33
3–6 members	6	50.00
Over 6 members	2	16.67
Average (min–max)	5 (1–9) members
Farmland ownership
Owned	9		75.0
Borrowed	1		8.3
Sharecropped	2		16.7

Table 3 Management of Different Farming Systems in 2019/2020

Variables	2 MFSSs	2 MCFs	2 PCs	2 MFS	2 CAs	2 AFs
Crops
Reasons for practising the system	Maximise yield	It increases yield	To simultaneously produce multiple crops	To maximise yield and have a variety of crops	To improve yield, conserve soil and diversify crops	To simultaneously produce fruits and crops
Land entitlement	Owned, borrowed	Owned	Owned	Sharecropped	Owned	Owned
Average farm size (ha)	0.98	1.33	1.45	0.50	0.65	1.20
Crops grown	Maize/ Pumpkin	Maize	Maize, sorghum, beans, pumpkin	Maize, beans, peas, sunflower, pumpkin	Maize, beans, pumpkin	Maize, peas, spinach, apple
Type and source of the seed for the main crops
Maize	Hybrid-purchased, non-hybrid-purchased	Hybrid purchased	Hybrid, gift, purchased	Hybrid-purchased, non-hybrid- gift	Hybrid-purchased, non-hybrid-gift	Hybrid-purchased
Sorghum	-	-	Non-hybrid selected from previous produce	-	-	-
Beans	-	-	Non-hybrid purchased/ selected from previous produce	non-hybrid gift/purchased	non-hybrid-gift	-
Peas	-	-	-	non-hybrid-purchased	-	non-hybrid-purchased
Management of the main crops
Average seeding rate, fertilizer application rates, and maize yield (kg/ha) Seeding
Maize Beans	12.9-	9.3-	5.24 63.50	15.50 53.35	10.50 100.00	8.33-
Sorghum	-	-	11.9	-	-	-
Peas (kg)	-	-	-	50		4.31
Chemical fertilizer applied to all crops 3:2:1 (25)/ 6:2:1 (31)	73	216	0	55.5	0	0
Manure applied for all crops	96	0	0	0	375	0
Maize yield	845.42	1,130	154.45	516.67	406	149.25
Previous year’s crops	Similar crops	Did not grow crops	Similar crops	Similar crops	Similar crops	Potatoes, wheat
Main challenges in crop production	Drought, hail, disease, and pests	Hail	Drought, hail, lack of fertilizer	Drought,	Drought, hail, theft, uncontrolled animals	Drought, uncontrolled animals,
Post-harvest losses	None	None	None	None	None	None
Livestock Management
Kind of livestock	Sheep, cattle	None	Sheep	Sheep, goats	Sheep, cattle	Sheep
Main feeding method	Grazing on communal pastures	-	Grazing on communal pastures	Grazing on communal pastures	Grazing on communal pastures	Grazing on communal pastures
Supplementary feeding			Salt			Salt
Main challenges in livestock production	Drought, disease, and pests	-	Drought, pests, and diseases	Drought	Drought, pests, and diseases	Drought, pests, and diseases
Losses in livestock production	2 lambs died due to ringworms	-	None	2 lambs died of unknown diseases	1 ewe and 1 lamb died of unknown diseases	2 lambs died of unknown diseases

Figure 4. Farm economic margin of different farms in normal scenario.

Figure 5. Farm economic margin of different farms in scenario 1.

Figure 6. Farm economic margin of different farms in scenario 2.

Figure 7. Distribution and variability of farm economic margin of different farms in different scenarios.

Figure 8. SWOT-TOWS matrix of different MSFSs.

FAOSTAT. (2020). FAOSTAT. Available in http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL [ accessed on 23/03/2020]

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