The oilseeds subsector and household food insecurity in communal farming areas of Zimbabwe: a preliminary research proposal

Abstract

The oil-seeds sub-sector is composed of cottonseed, soyabeans, groundnuts, and sunflowers. The sub-sector is targeted for expansion following recent government measures aimed at discouraging maize and sorghum production. The aim is to reduce maize production by at least 50 percent in the 1986-87 season. The reason for the new policy of agricultural diversification is the high cost of storing the 2.1 million tonne maize stockpile (January, 1987) which is equivalent to three years’ domestic sales of the Grain Marketing Board (GMB). The annual average storage cost of maize is approximately Z$24 million in 1986-87 alone. Consequently farmers are being encouraged to diversify into alternative non-grain crops such as oil-seeds.