to attend communal workdays if called upon by a farmer who attended Labor Use and Time Alocatlon for Major Crops
his or her workday. Communal labor hiring is appropriately viewed as a
kind of communal self-help scheme for neighboring villages as opposed Family labor constitutes the major source of labor for farm operations. In
to kinship groups, as people are not necessarily related to one another, peak labor-demand periods this is supplemented by hired labor. Based on
Crop Hlusbandry and Uses a seven-hour day, male adults devote 75 percent of their time to farm operations while the other 25 percent is split up between nonfarm activities
Farmers prefer to eat the traditional maize that is mostly grown by and resting. Adult females divide their time between farm operations and
women in small plots near their houses or in dambos. The traditional house chores such as cooking, fetching water, fetching fuelwood, and atmaize is usually eaten green. Most farmers also grow a hybrid SR52, tending to children. Adult females have very little time to rest during the
which has been pushed by the local seed companies. Much of this is sold, growing season. School-going children devote only 15 percent of their
but some is stored for food. NAMBOARD will only accept hybrid maize time to farm operations; most of the time they attend lessons at school.
because of the inconsistencies in- color of the traditional variety. Farmers From August to October very little goes on; males spend this time relaxsay the hybrid is less sweet when eaten green, but indistinguishable when ing, drinking beer, and. socializing. However, females still devote almost
made into nsbina. The recommended planting period for SR52 is Novem- 50 percent of their time attending to house chores. Fetching water takes
ber 15 to December 15, after which it will have a poor start, up most of their time because most of the nearby wells are dry during
Land preparation for all crops starts in September, just before the this period. Cattle herding is mostly done by male children, while fernale
short, early rains in October, and continues through the end of December. children assist their mothers in house chores.
The surveys showed that some farmers go on planting cereal crops up to
mid-January. The common method of planting maize is dribbling behind Maize cultivation. Maize is often grown on new land, and land
the plow. The spacing for maize is usually seventy-five centimeters be- preparation begins in September. The traditional maize grown in small
tween rows and twenty-five centimeters between hills with an average of plots is planted at the short, early rains in October and is harvested, to eat
two seeds per hill. Sorghum, sunflower, and finger millet are commonly green, during January and February. Hybrid maize planting begins in
broadcast. Other crops such as groundnuts, pumpkins, beans, and so on, November. Over one-third of the farmers reported using second generaAre usually planted in hills on tilled land. tion maize seed, which they selected from the previous generation of hyFor maize and sorghum harvesting begins with stooking, the stacking brid seed. Research indicated this practice resulted in a 30 percent deof sheaves of grain in the field. The cobs or grain heads are later broken crease in yields.
off by hand. Maize is usually stored in bins or sacks. Sorghum and millet Basal fertilizer application is begun in December after full emerare stored almost exclusively in bins, while other crops are stored exclu- gence. The second fertilizer application is made sometime between Jansively in sacks. Crop residues are either burnt, incorporated into the soil, uary and April. Fertilizer application rates in 1982/83 and 1983/84 were
or used as cattle feed. Farmers were reluctant to reveal how much of their 135 kilograms per hectare for basal fertilizer and 140 kilograms per
lI~oddction was stored and how much was sold. When asked how they hectare for top dressing, down from what was reported in 1981 when the
decided how much to store, men responded, "Mother made a decision price of fertilizer was lower. Most farmers reported applying the same rate
and I sold what was left over." of fertilizer to late-planted maize; others applied greater amounts.
Farmers generally weed once, beginning in December and continuInstitutional Problems ing through January and February. Some weeding goes on through April.
A few farmers use pesticides to combat stalkborers and termites, the domFarmers were interviewed about the services provided by agricultural infant pests.
institutions. They stated that access to credit from the AFC was limited Stooking and harvesting hybrid maize begins in May and extends
and very unreliable. Small-scale farmers, who marketed their products to through July. After the maize is shelled and packed, it is transported to
the provincial cooperative and marketing union, said payment was usu- market, some still being sold in September. During the peak labor period,
ally delayed. The inputs supplied by the cooperative were also customar- December and January, farmers are forced to forgo optimal maize manily late. Further, local extension agents have very limited contact with agement (such as early planting and timely weeding) in order to cultivate
farmers; new technology is introduced through selected on-farm demon- other crops. Late planting, however, also results from the lack of draft
strations, which few female farmers attend.
power. Farmers who depend on hired draft power, the majority of whom