3.4 Describing production systems: input-output tables

3.4.1. Format of the table
3.4.2 Relevant exercises

3.4.1. Format of the table

In order to gauge their probable response to interventions, smallholder production systems can be characterised in terms of a simple input-output table, as shown in Table 3.1.

Table 3.1. A standard production input-output table for a mixed smallholder farming system.

Item		Farm activity				Input utilisation
		Maize	Coffee	Sheep	Cattle	Total used	Total available	Residual
Inputs:
	Seed
	Fertiliser
	·
	·
	Land
	Labour
	·
	·
	·
Outputs:
	Maize
	Coffee
	·
	·
	·
	Beef
	Milk
	Draft power
	·
	·
	·

Each farm enterprise (maize, coffee, livestock etc) provides one or more outputs and requires various inputs. The inputs used for each enterprise can be added to give total inputs used (by category) for each year, which can then be compared with the total level of inputs available. The balance obtained will indicate whether there are resource deficits or surpluses. A resource surplus may not necessarily imply a potential to increase production. For example, unused land may need to remain fallow or unused labour may be required for social activities or communal work. Nevertheless, resource surplus and deficit figures will often provide useful information about the potential for increasing production, with or without changes in technology.

For production systems dependent on the use of communal resources (pastoral and agropastoral systems), household-level input-output tables will not provide a complete picture of the factors constraining the expansion of production. Regional input-output tables may need to be computed as well.

3.4.2 Relevant exercises

Exercise 3.1: Input-output tables.

Example: The following data apply to an agropastoral household in a semi-arid region.

Household characteristics:

Size and structure: nine people, consisting of four adults (two male, two female), and five children (two male and three female).

Location of members: three adults on farm, one adult in off-farm employment; five children on farm (four in school).

Crop production:

The table below summarises relevant information for the different crops grown on a total area of 5 ha.

Item		Crop
		Maize	Beans	Groundnuts	Sorghum
Area (ha)		3.0	0.5	0.5	1.0
Yields (kg/ha)		250	200	150	300
Labour (p.d./ha)
	Male	3	2	2	1
	Female	15	60	60	20
Input levels
	Fertiliser (kg/ha)	nil	nil	nil	nil
	Seed (kg/ha)	30	90	90	10

p.d. = person-days.

Livestock production:

The household owns 10 cattle and 4 goats; the cattle herd consists of 4 cows, 2 calves, 2 oxen, 1 heifer and 1 young bull. Milk production is 150 kg/year per cow but half of this is consumed by the calves and the other half is extracted by the household. The offtake rate of animals for sale is 10% of the total herd. Mature oxen and cows dress out at 50% of body weight (i.e. 50% of 250 kg). The offtake rate for smallstock is 25%; a mature goat dresses out at 20 kg. The average production of dry manure from cattle (excluding calves) is 0.75 t/year per animal. The herd requires 145 person-days/year for herding, watering and other tasks, 100 of which are allocated to male household members. Both cattle and smallstock are grazed on communal pasture. Veterinary costs amount to $ 5.00/year.

Total labour availability:

The total amount of labour available for farming operations is:

Males:	350 person-days
Females:	350 person-days

Study the input-output table (Table 3.2), making sure you understand the reason for each of the figures entered. This table will be used as a basis for the subsequent exercise.

Table 3.2. Sample household input-output table for an agropastoral production system.

p.d. = person-days.

Exercise: (estimated time required: 2 hours).

Question 1. Draw an input-output table for the following data set obtained from a 2-ha, medium-intensity dairy operation in the Kenyan highlands:

Household characteristics:

Size and structure: seven people, consisting of four adults (two male, two female), and three children (one male and two female).

Location of members: three adults on farm, one adult in off-farm employment; three children on farm (all in school).

Crop production:

Item		Crop
		Maize	Beans	Groundnuts	Coffee
Area (ha)		0.5	0.2	0.1	0.2
Yields (kg/ha)		2200	400	400	500
Labour (p.d./ha):
	Male	4	2.5	5	100
	Female	38	80	80	50
Input levels
	Fertiliser (kg/ha)	100	-	-	200
	Seed (kg/ha)	30	100	100	-
	Insecticides ($/ha)	-	-	-	15

p.d. = person-days.

Livestock production:

Dairying is the only livestock enterprise on the farm. The enterprise consists of one cow plus one calf and one heifer. Artificial insemination is used and the calving interval is about 15 months. Feed resources consist of one ha of fertilised pasture, supplemented by maize stover, concentrates and minerals. Bull calves are slaughtered for home consumption. Inputs and outputs are as follows:

Item		Annual level
Outputs:
	Milk (net of calf)	1500 kg
	Meat (average from slaughter of bull calf)	15 kg
	Manure	1.5 t
Inputs:
	Fertiliser/ha	150 kg
	Minerals/ha	5 kg
	Concentrates	150 kg
	Calf rearing costs	$ 10
	Veterinary costs	$ 10
	Labour: male	50 p.d.
	Labour: female	50 p.d.

p.d. = person-days.

Total labour availability:
The total amount of labour available for farm work is:

Male:	350 p.d. (one man full time)
Female:	350 p.d. (two women half-time each; the other half spent on household work)