Agriculture and Land Reform: notes

Farming Types

• Subsistence: food mainly for the family. Commercial: crops and animals sold for profit.
• Intensive: small land, much labour and inputs. Extensive: large land, few inputs.
• Mixed: crops and livestock together. Plantation: one cash crop on a large estate, such as tea or sugar.

Zimbabwe

• Natural regions: Region I (highest, wettest, tea, coffee, dairy) to Region V (driest, ranching, drought tolerant crops).
• Crops: maize (staple), tobacco, cotton, sugar cane, wheat under irrigation.
• Irrigation: needed where rain is low, for example sugar in the Lowveld.

Land and Food

• Land reform: moving land to more people. Needs inputs, loans and training to succeed.
• Problems: drought, poor inputs, pests, low prices, poor roads.
• Food security: having enough food all year.