Poverty Dimensions of Public Governance and Forest Management ...

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were originally cultivated with inorganic fertilisers on lands which have been stumped and
ploughed, and in which the soils are often exhausted.
These various styles of farming compete and interact with each other, transform the soil and
environment, impact upon each other defining the space that each can occupy, and define the
possible niche in the totality of cropping systems. While policies may attempt to favour one
farming style, other farming styles may be able to effectively mobilise resources to challenge the
agricultural systems which are officially supported by government and international policy
prescriptions.
Table 4.6 Dominant cropping systems
Percentage of plots under
Settlement
Total
cropping system
Weila Mansie Subinso Nsawkaw- Kokoago Buoko
Tanoso-
Njau
yam-cassava 28.3 13.5 14.0 30.2 8.6 11.8 18.5
sole maize 2.7 16.7 11.1 7.9 20.9 14.5 12.0
maize-cassava 1.8 1.0 7.6 6.9 20.1 9.1 8.2
Groundnut 14.2 10.4 8.2 8.5 1.4 3.6 7.6
cassava-groundnut 3.5 6.3 3.5 6.9 2.2 20.0 6.6
other groundnut intercrops 14.2 13.5 7.0 9.0 .7 3.6 7.7
yam-cassava-maize 1.8 10.4 8.8 3.6 3.6 4.4
sole cassava .9 2.1 8.8 .5 7.2 5.5 4.3
sole yam 4.4 5.2 3.5 2.6 4.3 5.5 4.0
No. of farm plots 113 96 171 189 139 110 818
The dominant crops vary from area to area in relation to such factors as:
• Ecology
• Agricultural infrastructure
• The market niches that farmers have learned to exploit
• Changing policy incentives and disincentives.
Agricultural infrastructure, market niche and policy incentives are closely interrelated, since
infrastructure development is often the result of policy directives, and policy may create new
market opportunities or distort existing market options. New developments within the regional
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