The conditions in which increased market participation leads to improved technical efficiency are still not adequately understood. This study therefore investigated farmers’ market participation rates and their predicted technical efficiency scores by performing a two-stage least squares (2SLS) regression analysis using household-level data obtained from the 2009 Ethiopian rural household survey. The predicted efficiency score from the stochastic frontier production function showed that the farmers had a mean technical efficiency score of 40.2%, implying that their output could be increased substantially if improvements were made to existing input mixes. The variables related to educational level and radio and mobile telephone access were positively linked to a farmer’s technical efficiency. The estimated results also indicated that farmers with a higher degree of commercialisation were technically more efficient compared to those with lower market participation. The overall results suggest the importance of increasing the market participation rate of smallholders in order to improve agricultural productivity in rural Ethiopia.
{"title":"Does commercialisation drive technical efficiency improvements in Ethiopian subsistence agriculture","authors":"W. Tirkaso, S. Hess","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.273136","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.273136","url":null,"abstract":"The conditions in which increased market participation leads to improved technical efficiency are still not adequately understood. This study therefore investigated farmers’ market participation rates and their predicted technical efficiency scores by performing a two-stage least squares (2SLS) regression analysis using household-level data obtained from the 2009 Ethiopian rural household survey. The predicted efficiency score from the stochastic frontier production function showed that the farmers had a mean technical efficiency score of 40.2%, implying that their output could be increased substantially if improvements were made to existing input mixes. The variables related to educational level and radio and mobile telephone access were positively linked to a farmer’s technical efficiency. The estimated results also indicated that farmers with a higher degree of commercialisation were technically more efficient compared to those with lower market participation. The overall results suggest the importance of increasing the market participation rate of smallholders in order to improve agricultural productivity in rural Ethiopia.","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":"27 1","pages":"44-57"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2018-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"68533276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mutisungilire Kachulu, L. Rasche, Uwe Schnieder, V. Chinene
This paper analyses the effect of tobacco substitution on the welfare of smallholder farmers in Malawi and provides policy options within the agricultural sector for diversifying the Malawi tobacco-based economy. An ex ante biophysical economic modelling approach was used to analyse changes in consumer welfare, producer revenue and foreign exchange (forex) earnings under assumptions of continued and curtailed tobacco production in Malawi. When tobacco was curtailed, sugarcane and groundnuts offered the best substitutes, contributing over 60% to both producer revenue and forex earnings. The curtailing of tobacco, however, led to a consumer welfare loss of 3%, producer revenue loss of 44% and forex earnings loss of 73%. Forex earnings losses were averted, however, by increasing export markets of certain crops, e.g. sugarcane by a factor of 0.9. In view of tobacco market instabilities and mounting pressure to curtail tobacco production on the global level, these study findings may guide policy decisions on optimal tobacco diversification options for Malawi.
{"title":"Tobacco substitutability and its effect on producer revenue and foreign exchange earnings under smallholder agriculture in Malawi","authors":"Mutisungilire Kachulu, L. Rasche, Uwe Schnieder, V. Chinene","doi":"10.22004/ag.econ.284992","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.284992","url":null,"abstract":"This paper analyses the effect of tobacco substitution on the welfare of smallholder farmers in Malawi and provides policy options within the agricultural sector for diversifying the Malawi tobacco-based economy. An ex ante biophysical economic modelling approach was used to analyse changes in consumer welfare, producer revenue and foreign exchange (forex) earnings under assumptions of continued and curtailed tobacco production in Malawi. When tobacco was curtailed, sugarcane and groundnuts offered the best substitutes, contributing over 60% to both producer revenue and forex earnings. The curtailing of tobacco, however, led to a consumer welfare loss of 3%, producer revenue loss of 44% and forex earnings loss of 73%. Forex earnings losses were averted, however, by increasing export markets of certain crops, e.g. sugarcane by a factor of 0.9. In view of tobacco market instabilities and mounting pressure to curtail tobacco production on the global level, these study findings may guide policy decisions on optimal tobacco diversification options for Malawi.","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":"13 1","pages":"331-344"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2018-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"68534944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The high volatility of the world cocoa price makes the millions of cocoa farmers in the developing world highly vulnerable to poverty. A large volatility in the value of an agricultural commodity is linked to the inelasticity of its supply or demand. Therefore, we test the hypothesis that the price elasticities of the global cocoa supply and demand are low. We describe the global cocoa market with cointegration dynamic supply, demand and price submodels. Our OLS, 2SLS, and SUR estimates are based on annual global observations covering the years 1963 through 2013. We find that the global cocoa supply is extremely price-inelastic: the corresponding short- and long-run estimates are 0.07 and 0.57. The price elasticity of cocoa demand also falls into the extremely inelastic range: the short- and long-run estimates are −0.06 and −0.34. Based on these empirical results, we consider the prospects for cocoa price stabilization. The cocoa price volatility was treated with various unsuccessful methods in the past. A possible solution for reducing the price volatility would be the encouragement of crop diversification. This increases the price elasticity of cocoa supply by adjusting the effort and money allocation between the crops, thus decreasing price volatility.
{"title":"How low is the price elasticity in the global cocoa market","authors":"András Tóthmihály","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.258587","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.258587","url":null,"abstract":"The high volatility of the world cocoa price makes the millions of cocoa farmers in the developing world highly vulnerable to poverty. A large volatility in the value of an agricultural commodity is linked to the inelasticity of its supply or demand. Therefore, we test the hypothesis that the price elasticities of the global cocoa supply and demand are low. We describe the global cocoa market with cointegration dynamic supply, demand and price submodels. Our OLS, 2SLS, and SUR estimates are based on annual global observations covering the years 1963 through 2013. We find that the global cocoa supply is extremely price-inelastic: the corresponding short- and long-run estimates are 0.07 and 0.57. The price elasticity of cocoa demand also falls into the extremely inelastic range: the short- and long-run estimates are −0.06 and −0.34. Based on these empirical results, we consider the prospects for cocoa price stabilization. The cocoa price volatility was treated with various unsuccessful methods in the past. A possible solution for reducing the price volatility would be the encouragement of crop diversification. This increases the price elasticity of cocoa supply by adjusting the effort and money allocation between the crops, thus decreasing price volatility.","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41965387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tracking agricultural expenditure in developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in a consistent and harmonised manner is important, not only in the context of the multilateral spending commitments made under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, but also in order to gain a better understanding of the impact and efficacy of spending. In this paper, a method for identifying and aggregating spending items from a variety of sources is developed to better understand how agricultural spending has evolved in Malawi. The results show that the central government receives around 90% of agriculture allocations, and this is largely spent on fertiliser subsidies, leaving only limited funding for core strategic functions such as research, extension and irrigation. More generally, lessons learned from the Malawi analysis could potentially be applied in other country contexts with similar experiences in terms of the evolution of accounting systems or government structures.
{"title":"Tracking agricultural spending when government structures and accounting systems change: The case of Malawi","authors":"Chance Mwabutwa, K. Pauw","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.258605","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.258605","url":null,"abstract":"Tracking agricultural expenditure in developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa in a consistent and harmonised manner is important, not only in the context of the multilateral spending commitments made under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme, but also in order to gain a better understanding of the impact and efficacy of spending. In this paper, a method for identifying and aggregating spending items from a variety of sources is developed to better understand how agricultural spending has evolved in Malawi. The results show that the central government receives around 90% of agriculture allocations, and this is largely spent on fertiliser subsidies, leaving only limited funding for core strategic functions such as research, extension and irrigation. More generally, lessons learned from the Malawi analysis could potentially be applied in other country contexts with similar experiences in terms of the evolution of accounting systems or government structures.","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":"12 1","pages":"111-124"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49360299","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Mensah-Bonsu, D. Sarpong, R. Al-Hassan, S. Asuming-brempong, I. Egyir, J. Kuwornu, Y. Osei-Asare
Using count models, this paper assesses the intensity of land and water management practices among smallholder maize farmers in Ghana and the factors driving the number of practices adopted. Farmers’ use of fertiliser, non-burning of farmland and ploughing-in of vegetative cover are the practices adopted the most. The paper cautiously notes that the farmers who combine three of the land and water management practices have the highest average productivity. Access to extension contact, credit and farmers’ experiences of food shocks are important driving factors. The findings have implications for a comprehensive land and water management policy within which different strategies are articulated to increase the productivity of the farmers. Fertiliser application, no burning, zero tillage and ploughing-in of the vegetative cover are important. However, the regression results for maize yields suggest that the adoption of a high number of the technologies might not necessarily result in better yields.
{"title":"Intensity of and factors affecting land and water management practices among smallholder maize farmers in Ghana","authors":"A. Mensah-Bonsu, D. Sarpong, R. Al-Hassan, S. Asuming-brempong, I. Egyir, J. Kuwornu, Y. Osei-Asare","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.258607","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.258607","url":null,"abstract":"Using count models, this paper assesses the intensity of land and water management practices among smallholder maize farmers in Ghana and the factors driving the number of practices adopted. Farmers’ use of fertiliser, non-burning of farmland and ploughing-in of vegetative cover are the practices adopted the most. The paper cautiously notes that the farmers who combine three of the land and water management practices have the highest average productivity. Access to extension contact, credit and farmers’ experiences of food shocks are important driving factors. The findings have implications for a comprehensive land and water management policy within which different strategies are articulated to increase the productivity of the farmers. Fertiliser application, no burning, zero tillage and ploughing-in of the vegetative cover are important. However, the regression results for maize yields suggest that the adoption of a high number of the technologies might not necessarily result in better yields.","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":"12 1","pages":"142-157"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47693870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The absence of an agricultural census in Nigeria means that samples for surveys to estimate agricultural production are obtained from a non-comprehensive, non-representative set of farms. Therefore, aggregate production data quality is questioned. The methods employed herein provide a new way to empirically evaluate the quality of agricultural production estimates. Two objective types of data, namely the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), a satellite remote-sensing measure of intertemporal vegetation changes, and prices, which reveal supply-use dynamics, are used to analyse the degree to which agricultural production estimates reflect adjustments in growing/ market conditions. Broadly weak relationships were found between the production estimates and these objective measures, but with variations in degree across states. In addition, these two objective measures are more strongly related to each other than either is to production data. The results imply that the inclusion of NDVI and prices in agricultural production estimation models would improve the quality of the Nigerian production estimate.
{"title":"Evaluation of Nigerian agricultural production data","authors":"Patrick L. Hatzenbuehler, P. Abbott, T. Abdoulaye","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.258606","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.258606","url":null,"abstract":"The absence of an agricultural census in Nigeria means that samples for surveys to estimate agricultural production are obtained from a non-comprehensive, non-representative set of farms. Therefore, aggregate production data quality is questioned. The methods employed herein provide a new way to empirically evaluate the quality of agricultural production estimates. Two objective types of data, namely the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), a satellite remote-sensing measure of intertemporal vegetation changes, and prices, which reveal supply-use dynamics, are used to analyse the degree to which agricultural production estimates reflect adjustments in growing/ market conditions. Broadly weak relationships were found between the production estimates and these objective measures, but with variations in degree across states. In addition, these two objective measures are more strongly related to each other than either is to production data. The results imply that the inclusion of NDVI and prices in agricultural production estimation models would improve the quality of the Nigerian production estimate.","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":"12 1","pages":"125-141"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45299911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Urban demand for fragrant rice is increasing rapidly in Senegal, but little is known about the value of rice fragrance and the drivers of its demand. We conducted experimental auctions in Dakar to elicit urban consumers’ willingness to upgrade from non-fragrant to fragrant rice and their willingness to pay for domestic versus imported fragrant rice, and assessed the drivers of demand for rice fragrance through a double-hurdle model. The average value of rice fragrance is estimated to be around US$ 0.12 kg-1, as suggested by the 20% price premiums consumers are willing to pay on top of the price of non-fragrant rice. These price premiums further increase to 35% for consumers who express positive buying intentions towards domestic fragrant rice. The value of rice fragrance is found to be driven by factors such as ethnicity, household size, and awareness of fragrance and local fragrant rice.
{"title":"What is the value of rice fragrance? Consumer evidence from Senegal","authors":"M. Diagne, M. Demont, Maimouna Ndour","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.258603","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.258603","url":null,"abstract":"Urban demand for fragrant rice is increasing rapidly in Senegal, but little is known about the value of rice fragrance and the drivers of its demand. We conducted experimental auctions in Dakar to elicit urban consumers’ willingness to upgrade from non-fragrant to fragrant rice and their willingness to pay for domestic versus imported fragrant rice, and assessed the drivers of demand for rice fragrance through a double-hurdle model. The average value of rice fragrance is estimated to be around US$ 0.12 kg-1, as suggested by the 20% price premiums consumers are willing to pay on top of the price of non-fragrant rice. These price premiums further increase to 35% for consumers who express positive buying intentions towards domestic fragrant rice. The value of rice fragrance is found to be driven by factors such as ethnicity, household size, and awareness of fragrance and local fragrant rice.","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":"12 1","pages":"99-110"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47666641","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cet article vise a evaluer le taux d'adoption actuel et potentiel des varietes de riz NERICA (New Rice for Africa) et identifier les determinants de leur connaissance et adoption au Burkina Faso. Des enquetes ont ete menees en 2009, aupres de 300 producteurs de riz de 10 villages rizicoles de selection varietale participative. La methode de l'effet moyen du traitement (ATE) a permis de determiner un taux commun d’exposition et d’adoption des NERICA de 17% en 2008 et un taux potentiel d’adoption de 37%. Ceci montre qu’il existe un ecart d'adoption de 20% lie a la diffusion incomplete des NERICA qu'il faut combler en menant davantage d’actions de diffusion de ces varietes. Le contact avec la recherche agricole constitue le principal facteur determinant de l'exposition et de l'adoption des NERICA au Burkina Faso. --- This paper aims to assess the actual and potential adoption rate of NERICA (New Rice for Africa) rice varieties and identify the determinants of their diffusion and adoption in Burkina Faso. The surveys were conducted in 2009 among 300 rice farmers in 10 villages participating in the rice varietal selection tests. The average treatment effect (ATE) method made it possible to determine a common rate of exposure to and adoption of NERICA of 17% in 2008, and a potential adoption rate of 37%. This means that there is an adoption gap of 20% due to the incomplete diffusion of NERICA, which must be addressed by carrying out more actions to disseminate these varieties. The contact with agricultural research services is a key factor determining the awareness and adoption of NERICA in Burkina Faso.
{"title":"Evaluation de l'adoption des variétés de riz NERICA dans l'Ouest du Burkina Faso","authors":"M. Ouédraogo, D. Dakouo","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.258596","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.258596","url":null,"abstract":"Cet article vise a evaluer le taux d'adoption actuel et potentiel des varietes de riz NERICA (New Rice for Africa) et identifier les determinants de leur connaissance et adoption au Burkina Faso. Des enquetes ont ete menees en 2009, aupres de 300 producteurs de riz de 10 villages rizicoles de selection varietale participative. La methode de l'effet moyen du traitement (ATE) a permis de determiner un taux commun d’exposition et d’adoption des NERICA de 17% en 2008 et un taux potentiel d’adoption de 37%. Ceci montre qu’il existe un ecart d'adoption de 20% lie a la diffusion incomplete des NERICA qu'il faut combler en menant davantage d’actions de diffusion de ces varietes. Le contact avec la recherche agricole constitue le principal facteur determinant de l'exposition et de l'adoption des NERICA au Burkina Faso. --- This paper aims to assess the actual and potential adoption rate of NERICA (New Rice for Africa) rice varieties and identify the determinants of their diffusion and adoption in Burkina Faso. The surveys were conducted in 2009 among 300 rice farmers in 10 villages participating in the rice varietal selection tests. The average treatment effect (ATE) method made it possible to determine a common rate of exposure to and adoption of NERICA of 17% in 2008, and a potential adoption rate of 37%. This means that there is an adoption gap of 20% due to the incomplete diffusion of NERICA, which must be addressed by carrying out more actions to disseminate these varieties. The contact with agricultural research services is a key factor determining the awareness and adoption of NERICA in Burkina Faso.","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":"12 1","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47075879","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. N'cho, M. Mourits, M. Demont, P. Adegbola, A. Lansink
Rice production is crucial for food security and income generation in sub-Saharan Africa. However, productivity and technical efficiency levels in rice production systems are severely constrained by biotic constraints such as parasitic weeds. This paper assesses the impact of infestation by parasitic weeds on rice farmers’ technical efficiency and examines the potential role of managerial factors in improving technical efficiency. Household and field survey data were collected from rice farmers in Cote d’Ivoire and Benin in West Africa. A stochastic frontier production function was estimated, which allows for identifying the levels of exogenous factors that prevent farmers from improving technical efficiency levels. The results suggest that farmers cope with parasitic weeds through learning from experiencing infestations by parasitic weed. The results will assist national extension in designing segmented training programmes that are better tailored to rice farmers’ needs and preventing food security from being jeopardised by parasitic weeds.
{"title":"Impact of infestation by parasitic weeds on rice farmers' productivity and technical efficiency in sub-Saharan Africa","authors":"S. N'cho, M. Mourits, M. Demont, P. Adegbola, A. Lansink","doi":"10.22004/AG.ECON.258598","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/AG.ECON.258598","url":null,"abstract":"Rice production is crucial for food security and income generation in sub-Saharan Africa. However, productivity and technical efficiency levels in rice production systems are severely constrained by biotic constraints such as parasitic weeds. This paper assesses the impact of infestation by parasitic weeds on rice farmers’ technical efficiency and examines the potential role of managerial factors in improving technical efficiency. Household and field survey data were collected from rice farmers in Cote d’Ivoire and Benin in West Africa. A stochastic frontier production function was estimated, which allows for identifying the levels of exogenous factors that prevent farmers from improving technical efficiency levels. The results suggest that farmers cope with parasitic weeds through learning from experiencing infestations by parasitic weed. The results will assist national extension in designing segmented training programmes that are better tailored to rice farmers’ needs and preventing food security from being jeopardised by parasitic weeds.","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":"12 1","pages":"35-50"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41957341","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Kergna, M. Smale, Amidou Assima, A. Diallo, E. Weltzien, F. Rattunde
Rural Malians depend on sorghum as a staple food. Despite long-term investment in sorghum improvement, achieving major gains in sorghum yields has posed challenges. We assessed the potential economic impact of the first Guinea-race sorghum hybrids developed and diffused using participatory plant breeding with decentralised, farmer-based seed systems. We compared this approach to formal plant breeding with a centralised, state-managed seed system – the sole approach pursued in Mali prior to 2000. To incorporate risk, we augmented the economic surplus model by applying Monte Carlo sampling to simulate distributions of model parameters. A census of sorghum varieties in 58 villages of the Sudanese Savanna served as the adoption baseline. Our findings indicate that research on sorghum hybrids with the new approach is a sound investment. Public and private actors need to continue investing in innovative ways to expand the sorghum seed system. The sensitivity of results to the price elasticity of supply suggests commercialisation opportunities.
{"title":"The potential economic impact of Guinea-race sorghum hybrids in Mali: A comparison of research and development paradigms","authors":"A. Kergna, M. Smale, Amidou Assima, A. Diallo, E. Weltzien, F. Rattunde","doi":"10.22004/ag.econ.258597","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.258597","url":null,"abstract":"Rural Malians depend on sorghum as a staple food. Despite long-term investment in sorghum \u0000improvement, achieving major gains in sorghum yields has posed challenges. We assessed the \u0000potential economic impact of the first Guinea-race sorghum hybrids developed and diffused using \u0000participatory plant breeding with decentralised, farmer-based seed systems. We compared this \u0000approach to formal plant breeding with a centralised, state-managed seed system – the sole approach \u0000pursued in Mali prior to 2000. To incorporate risk, we augmented the economic surplus model by \u0000applying Monte Carlo sampling to simulate distributions of model parameters. A census of sorghum \u0000varieties in 58 villages of the Sudanese Savanna served as the adoption baseline. Our findings \u0000indicate that research on sorghum hybrids with the new approach is a sound investment. Public and \u0000private actors need to continue investing in innovative ways to expand the sorghum seed system. The \u0000sensitivity of results to the price elasticity of supply suggests commercialisation opportunities.","PeriodicalId":45228,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics-AFJARE","volume":"12 1","pages":"17-34"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46153101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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