RA 00048.pdf - OAR@ICRISAT

appear to be merit in strengthening a long-term
hybrid sorghum breeding program for West Africa
in anticipation of producing results towards the
end of the decade, when socioeconomic conditions
are likely to be closer to what are required
for their adoption.
C o n c l u s i o n
This paper has attempted to provide some understanding
of socioeconomic sources of heterogeneity
in farming systems. Socioeconomic
sources have systematic effects just like differences
in the climatological-physical conditions.
Therefore, it is as wrong to ignore such sources of
heterogeneity as it would be to ignore the
climatological-physical conditions. 39 Consequently,
because of the heterogeneity these create,
severe limitations are placed on the potential
transferability of systems, practices and even
components of improved technological packages.
Nevertheless, in addition to climatologicalphyscial
sources of variation, socioeconomic
sources of variation must be taken into account if
limited research resources and 'more generally
resources for agricultural development are to be
utilized more effectively.
In terms of Africa, a recent World Bank report
(IBRD 1981) has recommended that limited developmental
funds should be concentrated on the
more favorable areas where both export cash
crops and food crops are grown. The report
recommends that attention to the poorer areas
where only sorghum and millet can be grown
should be delayed pending the availability of
relevant improved technologies for those crops.
The challenge is great and can be addressed only
by a relevant combination of a long-term breeding
program, with the eventual potential of a revolutionary
impact with agronomic work within a
shorter time frame which will result in evolutionary
improvements in currently practiced farming
systems.
39. An appreciation of this has come a long way in the
last decade or so. For example, it is interesting to
note that in the predecessor to this symposium (Rao
and House 1972), there was no section devoted to
socioeconomic considerations, although the concluding
remarks by House indicated that socioeconomic
issues were raised in earlier discussions.
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