IV.1.3. FARM MANAGEMENT ASPECTS.
IV.1.3.1.Use of inorganic fertilizers
The results show that 100% of the well-off farmers, 68.2% of
the intermediate farmers and 79.4% of poor farmers use inorganic fertilizers.
As for the destination of this fertilizer, it is interesting to notice that
55.6% of the well-off farmers apply the fertilizer in cash crops while other
groups seem to distribute it between cash and food crops, showing that resource
constrained farmers prefer to invest both in food and cash crops.
Table 16: use of
Inorganic fertilizers in different wealth groups
|
Inorganic fertilizers
Wealth category
|
|
|
|
None
|
Total
|
|
Staple crops
|
Staple and cash crops
|
cash crops
|
|
Well-off farmer
|
1
|
3
|
5
|
0
|
9
|
|
|
11,1%
|
33,3%
|
55,6%
|
,0%
|
100,0%
|
|
Intermediate farmer
|
3
|
8
|
4
|
7
|
22
|
|
|
13,6%
|
36,4%
|
18,2%
|
31,8%
|
100,0%
|
|
Poor farmer
|
11
|
7
|
9
|
7
|
34
|
|
|
32,4%
|
20,6%
|
26,5%
|
20,6%
|
100,0%
|
|
Total
|
15
|
18
|
18
|
14
|
65
|
|
23,1%
|
27,7%
|
27,7%
|
21,5%
|
100,0%
|
Large percentage of farmers using
mineral fertilizers may be explained by extensive cultivation of coffee in the
area that requires use of inorganic fertilizers. Fertilizers are being
distributed by a local coffee farmers association that allows even poor farmers
accessing the expensive input as under a refundable loan scheme.
IV.1.3.2. Use of Organic
fertilizers
Table 17: use of
Organic fertilizers in different wealth group
|
Organic fertilizers
Wealth category
|
|
|
Total
|
|
Staple crops
|
Staple and cash crops
|
|
Well-off farmer
|
1
|
8
|
9
|
|
|
11,1%
|
88,9%
|
100,0%
|
|
Intermediate farmer
|
12
|
10
|
22
|
|
|
54,5%
|
45,5%
|
100,0%
|
|
Poor farmer
|
20
|
14
|
34
|
|
|
58,8%
|
41,2%
|
100,0%
|
|
Total
|
33
|
32
|
65
|
|
50,8%
|
49,2%
|
100,0%
|
In general, results show how farmers apply fertilizers in both
staple and cash crops in almost same proportions. However 88.9 % of the
well-off farmers use it in cash and food crop since they have it in sufficient
quantity while relatively great numbers of intermediate and poor farmers
allocate it in cash crops because of limited quantity of inorganic fertilizers
that is not enough for improving production.
|
|
