CONTRACT FARMING AND OUTGROWER SCHEMES IN EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
研究了东非和南部非洲七国合同农业和外包种植计划的成败因素、绩效表现及推广限制，发现其服务农民和增收效果良好，但高管理成本限制了推广。
This article examines the experience of seven countries in East and Southern Africa with contract farming and outgrower schemes. In such schemes, farmers sell their crops under contract to private or public enterprises for processing or export in return for various price guarantees, inputs and services. The article identifies some of the key determinants of success or failure, evaluates performance and examines the constraints to replication. In most cases, performance in delivering services and providing income increases to farmers has been quite good, although high management costs limit the extent to which this form of organisation could be more widely applied. Looser control, relying more on price incentives and farmer participation, might lower overhead costs while developing management capability among growers.