Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are negatively affected by continued low agricultural productivity, deteriorating soil fertility, dysfunctional input and output markets and the unfavourable macro-economic environment. Per capita food production in SSA lags behind that of any region in the world and with the advent of climate change impacts, SSA will be the worst affected global region in terms of food security in the already risky operating environment. The challenge with smallholder farming is to employ techniques that increase productivity while at the same time increasing the soil fertility i.e. the soil’s ability to supply crop nutrients.). Livestock management has an impact on nutrient recycling and use efficiency on farms. Crop residue and manure use as soil fertility management options; draught power in land preparation and cultivation practices, and financing the purchase of inputs in crop production through livestock sales are other major sources of interactions between crop and livestock subsystems.
Esther Masvaya