Promoting participation in value chains for pulses in Malawi: Who and where to target

Download or read book Promoting participation in value chains for pulses in Malawi: Who and where to target written by Benson, Todd and published by Intl Food Policy Res Inst. This book was released on 2020-11-17 with total page 12 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this Policy Note, we examine both household and spatial factors that may drive participation by smallholder farming households in commercial value chains for pulses, legume crops that are primarily harvested for their dry seed. Here the focus is on value chains for common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), and pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan). Bean and pigeonpea are particularly important secondary crops within many smallholder farming systems in Malawi, while cowpea is less common. All are commonly grown as intercrops in smallholder farming systems, primarily with maize.