Most important

                   Second most important                          Third most

important

       staple crop                                          staple crop                                             staple crop

Key

:

             Maize                                           Sorghum

             Cassava                                       Millet

The final step in the process of identifying the production patterns is to summarize the

information gathered during this process.  The questions in

 step 6

 should be written out,

and then discussed with the Ministry of Agriculture professionals that are aware of the

agricultural production situation in your country to ensure that you have an accurate as

possible understanding.

In the example from Zambia, there are some important aspects of the agricultural production

pattern that are noteworthy for price  analysis. The main staple crop for Zambia is  maize.

The other important staple food crops grown in Zambia are cassava, sorghum and millet.

Cassava is the main staple crop in  Luapula and Northern provinces, and to a lesser in extent

Northwestern and Western provinces.

The major cash crop grown in Zambia is maize. Other crops widely grown cash crops

among small holder farmers are groundnuts and sweet potatoes. Tobacco and cotton are

mainly grown in the Eastern and Southern provinces of Zambia.

3.2.2 Consumption patterns

Knowledge of consumption patterns is also critical in price analysis because:

it provides the basis for selecting which commodities to be monitored since rich and

poor households tend to consume different products

it provides the basis for selecting which commodities to monitor in specific markets

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