RA 00048.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT

Socioeconomic Considerations in
Sorghum Farming Systems
D. W. N o r m a n *
There is considerable heterogeneity in the farming
systems found in the semi-arid tropic (SAT)
regions of the world, where sorghum is usually
the dominant crop. The heterogeneity consists
not only of variations in the natural environment
but is also due to considerable differentiation in
the socioeconomic environment. The underlying
objective of this paper is therefore to demonstrate
in an illustrative fashion how an economist looks
at the reasons for this diversity and the implications
these have for work in sorghum breeding
and agronomy, and for designing economic policies
which affect sorghum growing regions. In
examining these, two important, essential assertions
are made:
1. Because of the low level of agricultural productivity
and hence low incomes in the SAT
regions, improvements in the overall income
level cannot rely simply on redistribution of
incomes or heavy subsidization by government
but also have to be based on the development
and adoption of relevant improved technology 1
in the sorghum dominated farming systems.
2. The major customers of improved sorghum
1. A suitable or relevant agricultural technology is a way
of doing things (combining resources to undertake
crop, livestock and off-farm enterprises) in such a way
that it is compatible with environmental constraints
(both natural and socioeconomic) and as a result
contributes to the aspirations of the farming families
using it. The definition of a relevant improved agricultural
technology is one that is adopted by farming
families and helps them achieve their aspirations
more easily through improving their efficiency (productivity).
* Professor of Agricultural Economics, Department of
Economics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
66506, USA.
technologies will be the mass of farming
families and not plantations, government and
private commercial farms, etc. 2
Aspirations and
Farming Systems
There is a certain universality in the aspirations of
farming families and rural laborers which include
as the most important elements income, effort
avoidance and risk avoidance. 3 In economic terms
this can be stated as rural people trying to
increase their utility (satisfaction) which increases
with income but decreases with effort or higher
levels of risk. This can be restated as maximizing
income for any given level of effort and risk, or
alternatively reducing risk (or effort) for a given
level of income.
Attempts to maximize utility take place within a
set of constraints. It is not differences in aspirations
but rather differences in the constraints
which lead to the most important differences in
farming systems. These differences can be
grouped in a number of ways. For example, one
convenient classification is as follows: 4
2. Such types of production systems that are generally
highly capital intensive, (i.e., highly mechanized) have
had a bad history for many crops in Africa (IBRD 1981;
Norman 1981).
3. Economists used to largely ignore risk considerations.
However, recent research by Binswanger (1981) in
India, Sillers (1981) in the Philippines, Walker (1981) in
El Salvador, and Greeley (1981) in Thailand shows that
farmers almost universally try to avoid or reduce risk.
4. Accessibility to the socioeconomic determinants (2.
3, 4) may be partially determined by community
structures, norms and beliefs.
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics. 1982. Sorghum in the Eighties: Proceedings of
Symposium on Sorghum, 2-7 Nov 81, Patancheru, A.P., India. Patancheru, A.P. India: ICRISAT.
the International
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