Rural Poverty: Policy Options

Discussion of rural poverty has tended to emphasise farm poverty at the expense of rural urban poverty. There are serious problems in measuring the former but the evidence suggests that there is a sizeable group of chronically poor farm people. Only the Rural Adjustment Scheme appears to have components specifically geared to poor farmers and it, together with some possible innovations, is discussed. The nature and extent of rural urban poverty and its comparative neglect is described and some policy initiatives, revolving mainly round existing institutions and services are presented.