BALANCING SMALLHOLDER STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

The characteristics of smallholder production offer distinct advantages to the industry. Apart from their inherent economic strengths, most smallholders are eager to grasp new income-generating opportunities with secure market outlets. One of the horticulture industry's concerns about smallholders is their ability to meet the quality, consistency of supply, and food safety standards demanded by the market. Such concerns may be groundless, as there is nothing inherent in smallholder production that prevents UK supermarket requirements from being met.

In fact, smallholders offer exporters a number of strengths and, indeed, certain advantages over larger producers - for example, larger farmers often face problems of labour motivation and management. However, smallholders do have certain weaknesses most of which can, hopefully, be overcome.

By addressing smallholders' most common weaknesses trust and sustainability can be achieved in a smallholder-exporter partnership.