An Economic Analysis of High-Value Horticulture Crop Productivity: Green Peas (Pisum sativum) in Zimbabwe

Abstract

In Zimbabwe the potential of the horticulture crops is not being fully realized. In this study we use green peas, an important high-value horticultural vegetable crop to help understand what has been happening to the horticultural sector. We found that although green pea output and area under green pea production are on an upward trend in Zimbabwe, productivity is on a downward trend. As a means of increasing green pea productivity we recommend the following: credit and finance to horticultural farmers should be enhanced; farmers should be encouraged to be efficient in their production and they should be encouraged to target premium markets such as urban centres and the export markets where they would get better prices to enable them to cover productions costs. In that way, the horticultural sector could help address the problems of poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition thus contributing to the economic welfare of the nation.

Keywords: Economic analysis; Green peas; Horticulture; Market; Productivity