Agriculture, Pastoralism and Household Economy

Vincze (1980) has discussed the features of economies which he refers to as 'agro-pastoral peasant economies'. The term can usefully be applied to the economy of Hinganiya and its surrounding villages. It is a peasant economy in the sense that it is concerned with subsistence, while being oriented towards markets for the sale of surpluses. It is agro-pastoral because the economy combines agriculture and herding. This chapter describes agricultural and pastoral production in Hinganiya. It then goes on to describe subsistence activities, placing emphasis on the annual work cycles associated with both agriculture and pastoralism. A major aim is to identify priorities for production and any points of conflict between the requirements of the various subsistence activities.