Food production in a land - surplus, labor - scarce economy : the Zairian basin

This report examines constraints to food production in the Zairian Basin, a tropical rain forest zone where most of the country"s tree crops (i.e., coffee, cocoa, natural rubber, and palm oil), rice, and plantain are grown. The study indicates that, despite ready availability of land, the cultivated area per household in the region remains small and farm labor input is low. Only about 35% of labor time is spent on farming, while the remainder is allocated for activities such as hunting, fishing, and gathering. Agricultural productivity could be significantly increased in the area if labor input were increased, especially for land preparation, since labor productivity increases with the size of cultivated area. However, farmers in the Basin are discouraged by poor domestic prices for farm products and lack of capital. The report recommends that these constraints be alleviated through the development of infrastructure such as roads; transportation, distribution, and marketing facilities; and rural capital markets. The government should also invest in biological and chemical technologies to improve the productivity of labor and other inputs, particularly for the production of cereal crops.