An Exploratory Study of Farmers' Choice of Crops in Central Sudan

Because of the general lack of success of rural development in Africa, the paper suggests that repertory grid techniques could be used to provide a more useful insight into one aspect of rural life in Africa, that of choice of crops. A study of one community in central Sudan is undertaken in an attempt to identify the main factors underlying farmers' choice of crops. The importance of non-economic factors in crop choice, even in a markedly commercial agricultural system, is noted, as are the differences in decision factors between food-crop and fodder-crop producers. Although this is seen to be a potentially useful approach to agricultural planning in Africa, it is pointed out that there is a need for more studies in a variety of environmental and economic settings to be undertaken before firm universal recommendations can be made.