Dataset for: RTC-Action Malawi Project Baseline study for Potato Component

The baseline study was conducted to assess and understand the socio-economic situation of farmers including potato production methods and technologies, seed system, input and output market systems, farmer capacity levels, perception on potato nutrition issues and food security situation. The results show that potato production is mainly dominated by female headed households in the new districts (Dowa and Mzimba) mainly because the crop is relatively newer but slowly getting popularity due to the declining tobacco performance that has been the number one cash crop in these districts. The average age of the sampled household heads was 34 in all the districts and this result indicates that the potato production is mainly dominated by people who are still in the productive age. This observation is consistent with the fact that potato production is relatively labour intensive hence it requires participation of active adults and the youth. Further to this, the results show that on average the households have a total land size of 1.5 acres (0.6 ha) which is consistent with the results of the recent IHS 4 that also reported that on average in Malawi, the average cultivated area is about 1.5 acres and further results also show that on average, male-headed households cultivated 1.7 acres compared to their female counterparts who cultivated 1.2 acres.