An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Zimbabwean Government Maize Production Support Programmes in Ensuring Food Security

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume III, Issue VII, July 2019 | ISSN 2454–6186

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Zimbabwean Government Maize Production Support Programmes in Ensuring Food Security

Blessing Dhokotera^#, Cinderella Dube^*

^#,*National University of Science and Technology, Zimbabwe

Abstract—The study looked on the effectiveness of Government maize support programmes in ensuring food security in Zimbabwe over the period 1980 to 2017. The main objective was to establish quantitative impact of Government maize production support programmes in ensuring food security and analyse if the programmes are having any significant impact on raising food security through increased maize production. Guided by literature, the study hypothesised that Government maize support programs lead to increased maize output and therefore food security. The study based its theoretical framework from the theory of production function and the sustainable livelihoods model. Secondary data obtained from various Government publications was used to solve the research problem and analysis was centred on the Gittinger Model which gives a structure to perform financial analysis of agricultural projects. The findings show that maize production respond positively to its previous output price, Government maize support price, favourable weather, major Government policy support and availability of cheap fertilisers. Output of the crop respond negatively to increase in average fertiliser price. The elasticity estimates show inelastic responses to maize output price, Government maize support price, fertiliser price and Government major policy support. The inelastic response for most of the variables show that a comprehensive policy combining both price and non-price incentives is required to raise maize output in Zimbabwe. Further the elastic responses to rainfall show that a volatile climatic environment would be devastative to food security in the country. Construction of more dams and expanding farmland under irrigation will help farmers cushion the devastating effect of adverse weather. Farmers should aim to plan ahead and purchase part of their inputs as they wait for Government inputs support. More attention should be on irrigation infrastructure to limit the effects of adverse weather. The study suggested a similar study to be conducted using same methodology on a two or more country comparison to see whether the results will be the same as a potential area for future studies.

Keywords—Food security; Government Maize Support; Input Subsidy; Elastic; Inelastic

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