Smallholder Sugarcane Production Systems in Xinavane, Mozambique - Report from the Field
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Smallholder Sugarcane Production Systems in Xinavane, Mozambique - Report from the Field Idsert Jelsma, Alex Bolding, Maja Slingerland 2010 This series of Policy Briefs is a result of the Partnership Programme between the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs Government and Wageningen UR The Netherlands’ Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Wageningen UR are implementing the Partnership Programme ‘Globalisation and Sustainable Rural Development’. In the context of conflicting local, national and global interests and drivers of change processes, the programme aims, among other things, to generate options for the sustainable use of natural resources, pro-poor agro-supply chains and agro-biodiversity. Capacty strengthening and institutional development form cross-cutting issues in of the Partnership programme. The programme’s activities contribute to improved rural livelihoods, poverty alleviation and economic development in countries in the south. Farmers and other small-scale entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector form the primary target group. The program has a strong -but not exclusive- focus on countries in Sub-Sahara Africa. c/o Wageningen International Wageningen University and Research Centre P.O. Box 88, 6700 AB Wageningen, The Netherlands Phone: +31 317 486807 E-mail: [email protected] , Internet : http://www.dgis.wur.nl Smallholder Sugarcane Production Systems in Xinavane, Mozambique: Report from the Field Idsert Jelsma, Alex Bolding, Maja Slingerland Plant Production Systems, Plant Sciences Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen November 2010 Affiliations Idsert Jelsma is a research fellow at Plant Production Systems, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands. Email [email protected], Tel. +31 (0)317 485818. Alex Bolding is Assistant Professor in Irrigation and Water Governance in southern Africa at the Irrigation and Water Engineering group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3a, 6708 PB Wageningen, the Netherlands. Email [email protected], tel. +31 (0)317 484196. Maja Slingerland is Assistant Professor of Plant Production Systems, Wageningen University, PP, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands. Email [email protected], Tel. +31 (0)317 483512. Acknowledgements We thank the outgrowers management and outgrowers and their families that contributed to this research for their time and willingness to share information. The amount of information shared was very generous and is greatly appreciated. Especially the farmer associations which participated in our survey, being Maguigane, Macuvulane, Facasize, Chihenisse and Colo, were very hospitable towards the researcher. Staff at AdX were kind enough to show Idsert Jelsma around the area and provided data on sugarcane production, smallholder, company and government activities surrounding the smallholder outgrower programs and introductions to the associations. NGOs as ORAM and KULIMA are greatly appreciated for providing their insights on smallholder developments in Xinavane and openness. Especially Gwevahne was very supporting in this research and their assistance and insights are greatly appreciated. Last but not least we thank CEPAGRI and Marc Schut for their support and arranging the introductions and credentials for important stakeholders. Wageningen UR Address : Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands : P.O. Box 430, 6700 AK Wageningen, The Netherlands Tel. : +31 317 482141 Fax : +31 317 484892 E-mail : [email protected] Internet : www.pps.wur.nl i Contents 1. Introduction ......................................................................................................... 1 2. Methodology and structure of report ......................................................... 2 2.1 Research techniques ................................................................................................................ 2 2.2 Structure of the report ............................................................................................................ 2 2.3 Scope and limitations .............................................................................................................. 3 3. Sugarcane developments in Mozambique ................................................. 4 3.1 Sugarcane in general................................................................................................................ 4 3.2 Smallholder sugarcane activities in Mozambique ........................................................ 5 3.3 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 6 4. Xinavane ................................................................................................................ 7 4.1 Location ........................................................................................................................................ 7 4.2 Sugarcane developments in Xinavane .............................................................................. 7 4.3 Overview smallholder sugarcane associations in Xinavane..................................... 8 4.3.1 Three phases of development: scope and timing .............................................. 9 4.3.2 Size of smallholdings and projected income variations ................................ 9 4.3.3 Funding modalities: grants versus loans ...........................................................10 4.4 Summary ................................................................................................................................... 12 5. Actors involved ................................................................................................ 13 5.1 Companies ................................................................................................................................ 13 5.1.1 Açucareira de Xinavane ............................................................................................13 5.1.2 Agricane ...........................................................................................................................14 5.1.3 Unitrans ...........................................................................................................................15 5.2 NGOs ............................................................................................................................................ 15 5.2.1 KULIMA ............................................................................................................................15 5.2.2 ORAM .................................................................................................................................16 5.2.3 Gwevahne ........................................................................................................................16 5.3 Government .............................................................................................................................. 17 5.3.1 CEPAGRI ...........................................................................................................................17 5.3.2 Local government ........................................................................................................17 5.4 Smallholders ............................................................................................................................ 18 5.4.1 Selection criteria and background of smallholders ......................................18 5.4.2 Motivations for smallholders ..................................................................................19 5.5 Concluding remarks .............................................................................................................. 19 6. Smallholders’ organization development .............................................. 21 6.1 Smallholder management selection procedures ....................................................... 21 6.2 Trainings for the establishment of functioning smallholder associations ...... 21 6.3 Creation of supra association/Joint Management Company: MHOVA .............. 24 6.4 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 25 7. Smallholder sugarcane outgrowers’ labour organization ................ 26 7.1 Major labour activities for smallholders ....................................................................... 26 7.1.1 Weeding ...........................................................................................................................26 7.1.2 Fertilizer application ..................................................................................................26 7.1.3 Irrigation system activities ......................................................................................26 ii 7.2 Individual plot labour versus labour teams ................................................................ 26 7.2.1 Individual plot labour ................................................................................................27 7.2.2 Labour teams .................................................................................................................28 7.3 Cultivation of other crops and competitiveness of sugarcane ............................. 29 7.4 Concluding remarks .............................................................................................................. 30 8. Financial arrangements ...............................................................................