Rural development through agriculture: a history of Mununshi Banana scheme,1967 to 2010

Abstract

This study attempted to reconstruct the history of Mununshi Banana Scheme (MBS) with a view of analysing problems that contributed to the failure of Rural Development through Agricultural Projects in Zambia. The study pinpointed the importance of agriculture in rural development. It demonstrated the essence and the origin of inequities of rural development in Zambia by analysing some early major economic developments in Luapula Province. It reflected on colonial legacy in particular agricultural sector’s geo-political, economic and administrative position in determination of rural development policy. Post independence rural development was examined through the development of MBS under both government directed and liberalised economies. The study highlighted economic, political and social challenges that rural agro-industries like MBS faced by looking at the scheme’s origin, economic history, pattern of organisation, intended outcomes and the end results of the scheme. The study concluded that Luapula Province was economically marginalised during the colonial period. Government agricultural schemes after independence could hardly stand on their own because they were tailored to valued provision of their products to urban areas than addressing the real need of rural poverty alleviation. Local people derived some socio-economic benefits from the post independence rural agricultural projects like MBS though they were not sustained. The study demonstrated that rural agricultural schemes failed to bring meaningful and sustainable development because of poor economic status of the nation at that time and political interference in their management system. The concentration of human and financial resources on few projects like MBS sidelined the real needs of rural development because they served a small number of people and they could not give sustainable development to rural areas