A LINEAR PROGRAMMING MODEL OF A REPRESENTATIVE SAHELIAN FARM. THE CASES OF THE COTTON ZONE IN MALI AND THE PEANUT ZONE IN SENEGAL
Abstract
The needs of cooperation between technical and social scientists concerned with rural development planning have become widely recognized. Also, because of the complexity of the small farm problem, analytical tools other than simple budgeting and marginal analysis may be required to simultaneously consider the motives; expectations; the decision process affecting production, consumption, investment and marketing; and the various socio-economic, institutional, and resources constraints to achieving his goals (profit, subsistence, etc.). The overall objective of the study is to develop an analytical tool (LP model) that can help (1) in understanding the small farm problem and peasant's decision processes with respect to production, consumption, investment and marketing; (2) the extension agency in designing and evaluating technical and socio-economic packages; (3) farmers in better understanding their problems; and (4) in bridging the gap of communication, not only between socio-economic and technical scientists but also between scientists and farmers. Although our objective involved creating a model of the small farm, our applications are restricted to two Sahelian countries in West Africa: Mali and Senegal. The Sahel Farm Model (SFM), tested with "top" farmers in Mali and "subsistence" farmers in Senegal, was satisfactory in both cases. The research showed that subsidizing modern inputs has significant positive impacts on farm production in Mali. The existence of excess workable hours of tractor and oxen lead us to conclude that farm output and income could be significantly increased through reallocating the existing resources; education; research; and improving the managerial skills of the farmer. In the long run, the introduction of the tractor may lead to important labor displacement without producing other employment opportunities. A compromise between the extension organization and the farmer with respect to rotations may lead to higher output and income. An increase of two percent, in corn area, from the 1979 level had a negative impact on farm income. Semi-intensive production technology was shown to be more profitable than either intensive or extensive for farmers in North Central Senegal. The subsidy policy (24 percent) seems to be an ineffective method for improving farm income and output. Some features of the SFM are that it handles the complex and multiple decision process with respect to land and labor exchange between family members; and allows for difference in productivity and farming practices between various producers on the farm. SFM integrates two concepts that are important in planning small farms: risk averse and subsistence satisfaction behavior of the farmer. If carefully implemented with the participation of a multidisciplinary team, SFM, a flexible and powerful tool for analysis, can be useful in planning the development of small farm, not only in the Sahel but also in similar areas.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Agricultural economics
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