A Comparative Study between Major Crop (Potato) and Minor Crop (Onion) in Volcanic Highlands of Rwanda

This paper aims to assess the competition between the priority (major) crops and the non priority (minor) crops. Competition between crops is defined as the significant major differences between two crops in terms of production costs and their performance. Data were collected using a questionnaire administered to a random sample of 226 small scale crop producers including 94 onion producers and 132 potato producers. The T-test was conducted to state whether there is significant difference of mean land sizes, mean crop yields, mean selling prices, and mean net farm incomes between the two groups of crop producers. Results showed non significant difference between the mean land size allocated to onion production and that allocated to potato farming. Results also indicate that onion yield is significantly greater than potato yield, onion selling price is significantly greater than that of potato, and the net income from onion production is far away greater than the income from potato production. It is remarkable that, in some circumstances, the authorities may prioritize and thus propose to farmers the crops that are less competitive considering their price, yield or income, if the current climatic conditions and economic settings are maintained in the medium or long term. Referring to these findings, policy efforts should encourages to the farmers to shift from potato farming to onion production, or simply inclusion of crop diversification via adopting onion may be the best option to maximize the potentials of the selected crops.