Abstract: This chapter looks at some of the statistical evidence on rural industries. A much more cautious view of the current contribution and future prospects of rural industries in Africa emerges. The central finding of studies by 'optimists' is that rural small-scale industries in Africa are extremely important. The most important determinant of the scope for rural small-scale enterprises is the level of agricultural incomes, which determines the extent of local purchasing power from which forward 'demand linkages' are generated. The fact that even 'rural' industries tend to be located in rural towns and rural trading centres, but away from the rural household raises the question of how many households are effectively touched by access to rural industry or non-farm activities in general. Rural non-farm activities must remain an important vehicle for labour-intensive growth and for meeting the basic needs of low-income rural and urban populations.
Publication Year: 2019
Publication Date: 2019-05-23
Language: en
Type: book-chapter
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 6
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