@article{Tembo:340780,
      recid = {340780},
      author = {Tembo, R and Kibuka-Sebitosi, E},
      title = {Effects of the agricultural food security pack programme  in Zambia: the case of Mpulungu district},
      journal = {African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and  Development},
      address = {2023-11},
      number = {2490-2024-1138},
      year = {2023},
      abstract = {Agricultural food programmes are one of the means to  improve household food security for vulnerable small-scale  farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. In Zambia, household food  insecurity is entrenched among small-scale farmers. Despite  the implementation of the food security pack programme by  the Zambian government, there is scanty scientific  information on the performance of the programme. The study  reviewed the effects of the food security pack programme on  land cultivation and maize crop productivity in Mpulungu  district using a mixed-methods design. Using a simple  random sampling and Slovin’s Formula, 147 beneficiaries and  152 non-beneficiaries were selected as questionnaire  respondents. The study purposely selected two government  officials, one traditional leader, and five focus groups  for interviews and focus group discussions. Descriptive  data were generated using SPSS and content analysis. The  study revealed that 66% of the beneficiaries, cultivated  between a quarter (0.25) and half (0.50) a hectare compared  to the non-beneficiaries, whose 61% cultivated less than a  quarter (<0.25) hectare. Similarly, 70.1% of the  beneficiaries, harvested more than 20 (50kg) bags of maize  grain on average, per 0.25 hectares of land compared to 8%  of the non-beneficiaries for three farming seasons  reviewed. The land cultivated by the beneficiaries had a  larger mean (M ₌ 2.00) than the land cultivated by the  nonbeneficiaries (M ₌ 1.59). Maize crop productivity by the  beneficiaries had a larger mean (M ₌ 4.25) than the  non-beneficiaries (M ₌ 2.45). There was a statistically  significant difference in land cultivation and maize crop  productivity between the beneficiaries and  non-beneficiaries, with the former having more land  cultivated and higher maize crop productivity than the  latter. Administrative challenges in programme  implementation were noticed. Farming inputs were received  late and outside the planting period due to the centralised  purchase system despite the beneficiaries performing better  than the non-beneficiaries. Funds for the purchase of  agricultural inputs were released late by the Zambian  government. The study concluded that the food security pack  programme had a significant positive effect on land  cultivation and maize crop production for benefiting  households. The study recommends decentralisation of the  supply of farming inputs to the districts for timely  delivery to the beneficiaries, increasing the number of  beneficiaries, and timely release of funds for the purchase  of farming inputs by the Zambian government.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/340780},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.340780},
}