Summary

Sorghum is important for sustainability of small scale farmers’ subsistence, social and economic livelihoods in semiarid communities. Despite this, the tendency for sorghum production as a food and income source is declining in the small scale sector of semi-arid Zimbabwe. The study analysed the sorghum value chain in Mid Zambezi Valley of Zimbabwe. Using five Wards from Mbire District, mixed approaches were used to collect cross-sectional survey data from 380 farmers. Secondary data were collected from AGRITEX, NGOs, agro-dealers, traders, processors and retailers. Determinants of sorghum production and land allocation intensity were examined using double hurdle with probit and censored tobit. Frequency of contact with relatives, subsidy access and affiliation to associations influenced (p<0.01) sorghum production decision. Market access, storage facilities and number of buyers in the market influenced (p<0.05) intensity of land allocation towards sorghum. Factors influencing farmers’ market participation and marketing channel choices were identified using probit and multinomial logit. Three marketing channels were isolated as local, traders and a combination of the two. The local marketing channel dominated due to its convenience and accounted for 44.74 % of the surveyed households. Payment time, number of buyers, age of principal decision maker and distance to market influenced (p<0.05) market participation. Using local market as the referent category, weighted average market price, number of buyers in the market, distance to the market, dependency ratio and household income are robust determinants (p<0.01) of marketing channel selection. Though variables influencing the two decisions are different, showing independence in the decision making processes, information access influenced both decisions. Welfare impacts were examined using propensity score matching and endogenous switching regression. Household dietary diversity score and household food insecurity access score were adopted as proxies for food security. Sorghum physical productivity and net income gains were also used as indicators of welfare. Number of associations to which household members subscribed, market prices, household income, age of principal decision maker, dependency ratio, ownership of draught power and storage facilities have significant (p<0.05) implications on income and food security. Counterfactual analysis showed that farmers who allocate more land towards sorghum are relatively (p<0.01) better off in food diversity, food access, productivity and net returns. Mapping identified relationships, constraints, opportunities and marketing margins accruing to selected actors. Input supply systems are underdeveloped with production stalled by low uptake of improved seed varieties and low fertilizer application. There is limited production, marketing and processing of sorghum due to constrained access to production factors, biased extension services, erratic supply from farmers, centralised markets, limited value addition activities and low producer prices. Collaborative extension based and multi stakeholder driven strategies can create and sustain networking platforms, production, processing and marketing support for enhancing and strengthening net value extracted by sorghum value chain actors. It is important to strengthen policies that foster local networks of kinships, cooperative marketing and investment in appropriate storage facilities in partnership with private players to reduce post-harvest losses and allow for sales during market windows which generate higher returns during lean periods of the season.