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Soil fertility, fertilizer, and the maize green revolution in East Africa

Author

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  • Matsumoto, Tomoya
  • Yamano, Takashi

Abstract

This paper investigates the reasons for the low application of external fertilizers on farms in Kenya and Uganda. The analysis uses a large panel of household data with rich soil fertility data at the plot level. The authors control for maize seed selection and household effects by using a fixed-effects semi-parametric endogenous switching model. The results suggest that Kenyan maize farmers have applied inorganic fertilizer at the optimal level, corresponding to the high nitrogen-maize relative price, in one of the two survey years and also responded to the price change over time. In Uganda, even the low application of inorganic fertilizer is not profitable because of its high relative price. The authors conclude that policies that reduce the relative price of fertilizer could be effective in both countries, while the efficacy of policies based on improving farmers'knowledge about fertilizer use will be limited as long as the relative price of fertilizer remains high.

Suggested Citation

  • Matsumoto, Tomoya & Yamano, Takashi, 2009. "Soil fertility, fertilizer, and the maize green revolution in East Africa," Policy Research Working Paper Series 5158, The World Bank.
    • Handle: RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:5158
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Dethier, Jean-Jacques & Effenberger, Alexandra, 2012. "Agriculture and development: A brief review of the literature," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 175-205.
    2. Matsumoto, Tomoya, 2014. "Disseminating new farming practices among small scale farmers: An experimental intervention in Uganda," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 43-74.
    3. Pradyot Ranjan Jena & Hugo Groote & Bibhu Prasad Nayak & Annina Hittmeyer, 2021. "Evolution of Fertiliser Use and its Impact on Maize Productivity in Kenya: Evidence from Multiple Surveys," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(1), pages 95-111, February.
    4. Burke, William J. & Frossard, Emanuel & Kabwe, Stephen & Jayne, Thomas S., 2016. "Understanding Fertilizer Effectiveness And Adoption On Maize In Zambia," Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security Policy Research Papers 259510, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics, Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Food Security (FSP).
    5. Tomoya Matsumoto & Takashi Yamano & Dick Sserunkuuma, 2013. "Technology Adoption and Dissemination in Agriculture: Evidence from Sequential Intervention in Maize Production in Uganda," GRIPS Discussion Papers 13-14, National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies.
    6. Mugizi, Francisco M.P. & Matsumoto, Tomoya, 2020. "Population pressure and soil quality in Sub-Saharan Africa: Panel evidence from Kenya," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 94(C).
    7. Mugizi, Francisco M.P. & Matsumoto, Tomoya, 2021. "A curse or a blessing? Population pressure and soil quality in Sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from rural Uganda," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    8. Larson, Donald F. & Gurara, Daniel Zerfu, 2013. "A conceptual model of incomplete markets and the consequences for technology adoption policies in Ethiopia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6681, The World Bank.
    9. Chapoto, Antony & Ragasa, Catherine, 2013. "Moving in the right direction? Maize productivity and fertilizer use and use intensity in Ghana:," IFPRI discussion papers 1314, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    10. Wouter Zant, 2022. "Two Birds with One Stone: Technology Adoption and Market Participation through Protection against Crop Failure," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 22-091/V, Tinbergen Institute.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Crops&Crop Management Systems; Climate Change and Agriculture; Climate Change Mitigation and Green House Gases; Fertilizers; Food Security;
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