Class formation across borders: migrant workers in international borderlands
Abstract
• Agricultural boom in tobacco: introduced commercially in 1994 (+699% 2000-2009)
• Labour intensive, use of HH labour and migrant wage labour (Seasonal L and sharecroppers, atypical)
• 130.000 small scale producers. 1:3 Households in main producing districts.
• All production under outgrower-schemes with no nuclear estate (CF involves 12% pop in Mozambique). Substantial productivity gains, use of modern inputs.
• Quality sensitive, complex grading.
• Geographical concessions, country monopsony, price set by the company. Advances of inputs against harvest. No obligation to clear market.
• Geographical and corporate concentration.
• Extreme asymmetry/ no bargaining power (but one of the few viable sources of income from agriculture available in the region)