An interesting subject. It looks like this is another effort for “Estate Management” of smallholder lands. If this is the case make certain you learn the lessons from past efforts in particular the major debacle of the Gizzeria Scheme the Brits attempted outside Khartoum, Sudan at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile over 100 years ago. While as a major advocate for smallholder farming, I will agree that the estate management can be more productive and provide a better opportunity to meet national food security then individual smallholders. I will also agree that it could be a toss up if an individual is personally better off economically being an independent smallholder or an estate employee. However, as you do move from one to the other it can be a sensitive shift with many issues to consider.
1. Since an estate cannot have any isolated private holder inclusions you need some form of eminent domain to assure all land is included.
2. Then if you are not outright purchasing the land and disruptively displacing people, you need some equitable relationship for the use of the land.
If I were doing it, I would look at sharecropping in which during the season of estate management the owners will receive 30% of the crop. That is basically the world-wide standard share for use of land. This would be 30% of the total estate production prorated to the farmer according to area involved and not just 30% for the land involved as time differential across the estate will make the production on individual farms unequal. I would than guarantee the farmers the opportunity to work for the estate. The combination of wage earning and share should provide a reasonable income to the farmers. Also, if the estate is only interested in one crop a year the land should be available to the owners use during the off-season for personal production of something like short season vegetables.
Anyway, just some thought on estate farming of smallholder lands.
Dr. Dick Tinsley