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The impact of water conservation and intensification technologies: empirical evidence for rice farmers in Ghana

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  • Liane Faltermeier
  • Awudu Abdulai

Abstract

This study employs the propensity score matching model to examine the impact of the adoption of water conservation and intensification technologies on farm output and income among small-scale lowland rice farmers in the Northern Region of Ghana. The matching was conducted based on the Mahalanobis distance combined with the propensity score. Balancing tests by checking the mean standardized absolute bias in the matched sample were conducted as well as a sensitivity analysis was conducted to check for hidden bias due to unobservable selection. The empirical results show a positive and significant impact of the adoption of bunds technology on input demand as well as a positive but insignificant impact on output supply and net returns. Adopters of the dibbling technology were found to have higher output supply, whereas no statistically significant difference was found between the incomes of adopters and nonadopters of dibbling seed method. The results, however, reveal a positive and significant effect on output and net returns when the dibbling method is combined with intensified weeding. The estimates were found to be relatively insensitive to hidden bias. Copyright (c) 2009 International Association of Agricultural Economists.

Suggested Citation

  • Liane Faltermeier & Awudu Abdulai, 2009. "The impact of water conservation and intensification technologies: empirical evidence for rice farmers in Ghana," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 40(3), pages 365-379, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:agecon:v:40:y:2009:i:3:p:365-379
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    Cited by:

    1. Nkegbe, Paul K. & Shankar, Bhavani & Ceddia, M. Graziano, 2011. "Smallholder Adoption of Soil and Water Conservation Practices in Northern Ghana," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 114608, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Egziabher, Kidanemariam G. & Mathijs, Erik & Deckers, Jozef A. & Gebrehiwot, Kindeya & Bauer, Hans & Maertens, Miet, 2013. "The Economic Impact of a New Rural Extension Approach in Northern Ethiopia," Working Papers 146558, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Centre for Agricultural and Food Economics.
    3. Khonje, Makaiko & Manda, Julius & Alene, Arega D. & Kassie, Menale, 2015. "Analysis of Adoption and Impacts of Improved Maize Varieties in Eastern Zambia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 695-706.
    4. Menale Kassie & Precious Zikhali & John Pender & Gunnar Köhlin, 2010. "The Economics of Sustainable Land Management Practices in the Ethiopian Highlands," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(3), pages 605-627.
    5. Hegde, Ravi & Bull, Gary Q., 2011. "Performance of an agro-forestry based Payments-for-Environmental-Services project in Mozambique: A household level analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 71(C), pages 122-130.
    6. Wainaina, Priscilla W. & Okello, Julius Juma & Nzuma, Jonathan M., 2012. "Impact of Contract Farming on Smallholder Poultry Farmers’ Income in Kenya," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126323, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    7. Abebaw, Degnet & Haile, Mekbib G., 2013. "The impact of cooperatives on agricultural technology adoption: Empirical evidence from Ethiopia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 82-91.
    8. Ali, Akhter & Bahadur Rahut, Dil & Behera, Bhagirath, 2016. "Factors influencing farmers׳ adoption of energy-based water pumps and impacts on crop productivity and household income in Pakistan," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 48-57.
    9. Kassie, Menale & Shiferaw, Bekele & Muricho, Geoffrey, 2011. "Agricultural Technology, Crop Income, and Poverty Alleviation in Uganda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(10), pages 1784-1795.
    10. Millicent deGraft-Johnson & Aya Suzuki & Takeshi Sakurai & Keijiro Otsuka, 2014. "On the transferability of the Asian rice green revolution to rainfed areas in sub-Saharan Africa: an assessment of technology intervention in Northern Ghana," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 45(5), pages 555-570, September.
    11. Akhter Ali & Awudu Abdulai, 2010. "The Adoption of Genetically Modified Cotton and Poverty Reduction in Pakistan," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(1), pages 175-192.
    12. Wainaina, Priscilla W. & Okello, Julius Juma & Nzuma, Jonathan M., 2012. "Impact of Contract Farming on Smallholder Poultry Farmers' Income in Kenya," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 126196, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    13. Wainaina, Priscilla W. & Okello, Julius J. & Nzuma, Jonathan M., 0. "Blessing or Evil? Contract Farming, Smallholder Poultry Production and Household Welfare in Kenya," Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, vol. 53.
    14. Owusu, Victor & Abdulai, Awudu & Abdul-Rahman, Seini, 2011. "Non-farm work and food security among farm households in Northern Ghana," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 108-118, April.
    15. Ch & an Singha, "undated". "Causal Impact of the Adoption of Soil Conservation Measures on Farm Profit, Revenue and Variable Cost in Darjeeling District, India," Working papers 119, The South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics.
    16. Chandan Singha, 2017. "Causal Impact of the Adoption of Soil Conservation Measures on Farm Profit, Revenue and Variable Cost in Darjeeling District, India," Working Papers id:11921, eSocialSciences.
    17. Ragasa, Catherine & Chapoto, Anthony, 2016. "Limits to green revolution in rice in Africa: The case of Ghana:," IFPRI discussion papers 1561, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    18. Raju Ghimire & Wen-Chi Huang, 2015. "Household wealth and adoption of improved maize varieties in Nepal: a double-hurdle approach," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 7(6), pages 1321-1335, December.

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