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Agricultural Policy in Tropical Africa: is a Turnaround Possible?
Author(s) -
Due Jean M.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
agricultural economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.29
H-Index - 82
eISSN - 1574-0862
pISSN - 0169-5150
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-0862.1986.tb00003.x
Subject(s) - economics , agriculture , per capita , population , population growth , exchange rate , agricultural economics , economic stagnation , food security , development economics , economic policy , business , monetary economics , geography , demography , sociology , politics , political science , law , archaeology
The food crisis in Africa has entered our living rooms through television and the press. Why is per capita agricultural production lower now than at independence in the early 1960s? This article examines the factors responsible and outlines some solutions. Both external and internal factors have converged to create the crisis ‐ low prices to farmers to placate vocal urban consumers, inefficient, high‐cost marketing boards, governments' neglect of agriculture in favor of industry, over‐valued exchange rates, lack of foreign exchange and increasing debt burdens. Externally the depressed world market decreased demand for Africa's exports and contributed to the stagnation of the economics. Drought, a population growth rate approaching 3%/year and a shortage of human capital added to the crisis .