Land tenure security and small scale commercial agriculture perfomance in Zimbabwe

Abstract

[Abstract]The major objective of this study is to identify the effects of land tenure security on Small Scale Commercial agricultural productivity and development in Zimbabwe. Using a probit model, the study draws the following conclusions: i. Under a more secure tenure system, farmers are likely to have some longterm investments, in this case in plantation crops. ii. The type of tenure system may not necessarily influence an investment in non-fixed assets like livestock. iii. Secure tenure is likely to influence investment in property improvement fixed assets such as fencing and woodlots. iv. Secure tenure is likely to positively influence an investment in permanent housing facilities but does not seem to influence an investment in associated infrastructure such as garages, workshops or shades. v. Secure tenure seems to be associated with a higher propensity to invest in improving existing farm infrastructure. vi. Freehold tenure system is associated with a higher propensity to access to credit. vii. Tenure security appears not to significantly affect medium term soil improvements. Medium-term and long-term investments on the farm do not seem to have any significant impact on the level of input use. viii. However, contrary to expectations, the results of this study indicate that tenure security may not necessarily result in higher productivity.