Abstract:
The productivity of small-scale maize farmers in Lesotho remains constrained by land
tenure insecurity among other constraints, limiting their ability to maximize agricultural
output. The primary objective of this study is to assess the effect of land tenure security
on agricultural productivity among small-scale maize farmers in the Leribe and Maseru
districts of Lesotho. Specifically, the study aims to identify different land tenure
security systems, measure the breadth and duration of tenure, compare maize
productivity across systems, and analyze the influence of land tenure security on
productivity.
A multi-stage sampling technique was employed, resulting in a sample size of 49
respondents (23 from Leribe and 26 from Maseru). The study used descriptive statistics
and regression analysis to evaluate the effect of land tenure security on agricultural
productivity. Results indicated that land tenure security does not significantly
influences maize productivity.
With regard to land tenure security, "Marital Status" and "Education Level" show weak
significance in Leribe district, while in Maseru district, the "Land Tenure System"
comes close to being weakly significant (p = 0.0795). This suggests that while land
tenure security does not have a consistently strong effect across both districts, the way
land is acquired and certain socio-demographic factors may have localized effects onproductivity. The results highlight the need for stakeholders to implement policies that
facilitate affordable access to secure land tenure by obtaining land title deeds.
