WCHR Home   WCHR 1   WCHR 2   WCHR 3   WCHR 4   WCHR 5   Search  

FOSTERING SMALLHOLDER HORTICULTURE: A COLLABORATIVE PROGRAM LINKING CORNELL UNIVERSITY WITH ZIMBABWEAN INSTITUTIONS

H.C. Wien¹, O.A. Chivinge², A.D. Turner^1,22, A.D. Turner^1,2 and R.D. Christy^1
1Cornell International Institute for Food Agriculture and Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
²Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe

INTRODUCTION

Horticulture has potential to provide significant income and nutritional benefits, and can be practiced on relatively small areas of land. It thus becomes an important option for small scale producers in African countries like Zimbabwe, where more than 80% of the population resides in the rural areas, and is engaged in small scale farming. There are significant opportunities for horticultural crop production for both the domestic and more recently, the expert market, but many constraints that need to be addressed. The Smallholder Horticulture Program was formed in 1991 to link the Zimbabwean institutions, local agencies dealing directly with smallholders, and Cornell University in a unique collaborative effort to foster small scale horticulture.

THE INSTITUTIONS:

IN ZIMBABWE:

• University of Zimbabwe: Crop Science Dept., Agric. Economics and Extension
• Ministry of Agriculture:
  Dept. Research and Specialist Services (Research)
  Extension (Agritex)
• Parastatal Agency: Agricultural and Rural Development Agency (ARDA)
• Non-governmental organial and Rural Development Agency (ARDA)
• Non-governmental organizations
• Smallholder groups
  
  

AT CORNELL:

An interdisciplinary group linking faculty and graduate students in departments of Horticulture, Agric. Economics, Plant Protection, Agric. Engineering.

ACTIVITIES:

1. Developing training materials and courses for extension officers and farmers:

• Postharvest handling
• Pest and disease identification and control
• Marketing
  

2. Surveys of production and marketing practices

• Mashonaland East Survey: 615 households
• Marketing surveys in Harare, Mutare and Bulawayo

3. Workshops

• Water management
• Smallholder horticulture
• Socio-economic aspects of smallholder horticulture

4. Graduate student training

• 2 PhD's (Cornell)
• 6 MSc's (5 Cornell, 1 UZ)
• 1 Mphil (UZ)

5. Undergraduate instruction in horticulture and agricultural economics

6. Research projects in smallholder horticulture

7. Sabbatical and contact leaves

FUNDING SOURCES:

Core funding from CIIFAD of about $US 100,000 per year, with additional funds for graduate student training from the Rockefeller Foundation and Cornell University.

CONTRAINTS:

• Developing a true partnership when funds originate with one of tBR>
  
  

  CONTRAINTS:

  • Developing a true partnership when funds originate with one of the partners
  • Sustaining interagency collaboration in Wimbabwe without CIIFAD's finances and personnel
  • Making the needs of smallholder farmers the priorities for government agencies.

  ---

  WCHR Home   WCHR 1   WCHR 2   WCHR 3   WCHR 4   WCHR 5   Search  

  ---

  © WCHR
  wchr.agrsci.unibo.it/wc5/wien.html   Created 19 June 1998   Maintained by E. Muzzi, M. Ventura, D. Verzoni   lcorelli@agrsci.unibo.it >