Effect of land tenure security on agricultural productivity among small scale maize farmers in Leribe and Maseru districts of Lesotho

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.