Statutory Boards as Tools for Overcoming Land Fragmentation in African Agriculture

The Case of Rice Farming Tenure in Kenya

Abstract

A common challenge in many agricultural systems in African states is extreme land fragmentation and declining opportunities for economies of scale in production. This study uses the case of farm tenure and support system in Kenya rice schemes to show how the country’s National Irrigation Authority has not only stemmed fragmentation but also increased area under cultivation through targeted supply of collectivized infrastructure. In spite of increasing farmers and farms under the rice growing scheme (suggesting continued small-scale holdings) area under rice farming has expanded by 40% from 20,000 acres to 30,600 acres while productivity has risen from 4.1 in 2013 to 6.7 tons per ha by 2023.  The expansion 10,600 acres has occurred around contiguous small-scale freehold farmers outside of the initial scheme.  Within African small scale holder contexts, crop-focused statutory government bodies such as the National Irrigation Authority thus provide useful models in maneuvering and balancing land ownership autonomy and overall national productivity for small scale farm holders.