Sustainable Intensification among Smallholder Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) Farms in Karoi, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The study’s aim was to determine socioeconomic factors that influence sustainable intensification amongst smallholder tobacco farms in Karoi district, Zimbabwe. The study was conducted during the period November 2018 to February 2019. A descriptive approach was used in the study. Primary data were collected using a structured questionnaire. The main aspects measured by the questionnaire were household demographic characteristics, assets owned, livestock ownership, income and expenditure, agricultural production and marketing information. A sample of 91 respondents was chosen using the stratified random sampling technique, with the strata being the four wards in Karoi district. Descriptive statistics together with a multivariate regression model were used to analyse the determinants of sustainable intensification among the smallholder tobacco farms. The main findings suggested a significant relationship between sustainable intensification and use of improved seed (P=.01), household-head age (P=.1), household wealth index (P=.01) and distance to the nearest market (P=.01). Based on the findings, the study recommends that agricultural policy strategies should focus on provision of incentives that encourage the smallholder tobacco farmers to adopt environmentally friendly farming practices. Such strategies include, availing agricultural market-places close to the smallholder tobacco farms. Furthermore, the government must support farmers to acquire productive assets so as to enhance their household wealth index, which will eventually lead to sustainable intensification on smallholder tobacco  farms.