There is no doubt that the introduction of structural adjustment programmes has caused significant changes in the agriculture sector. However, the impact of these programmes is a topic of debate between their supporters and critics. One of the areas of disagreement between the two groups is the effect of cash crop cultivation on the economic status of farmers.

Critics of structural adjustment programmes argue that cash crop farming tends to impoverish small-scale farmers. This is because cash crops require expensive inputs like fertilisers and pesticides, which these farmers cannot afford. As a result, they may be forced to sell their land to large landowners and work as farm labourers, leading to further impoverishment. In contrast, advocates of structural adjustment programmes argue that the cultivation of cash crops offers higher incomes to farmers than food crops. They cite examples where an area of land producing coffee can generate up to ten times the income of the same area growing maize. It is argued that this increase in income is a significant benefit of the cultivation of cash crops


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