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Adoption of Drought Tolerant Maize Varieties under Rainfall Stress in Malawi

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  • Samson P. Katengeza
  • Stein T. Holden
  • Rodney W. Lunduka

Abstract

We examine adoption of drought tolerant (DT) maize varieties using a four‐round panel dataset from six districts in Malawi. There is an increase in adoption of DT maize from 3% in 2006 to 43% in 2015 in our data. We focus on the effect of past drought exposure on adoption and the likelihood of DT maize being distributed under the Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP). Results show that past exposure to drought increases the probability of DT maize seed being distributed through FISP. Farmers who accessed maize seed subsidy coupons and were previously exposed to late season dry spells are more likely to use the seed subsidy coupon to redeem DT maize seed. The likelihood of adoption and adoption intensity (area under DT maize) are positively influenced by previous early season dry spells and access to seed subsidy. Previous late season droughts also positively affect adoption intensity. On the other hand, area share under DT maize is positively correlated with early season dry spells and past exposure to late season dry spells but negatively related to seed subsidy. FISP in Malawi appears to have stimulated adoption of DT maize directly through subsidy and indirectly through generating farmers’ experiences of the performance of DT varieties under drought conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • Samson P. Katengeza & Stein T. Holden & Rodney W. Lunduka, 2019. "Adoption of Drought Tolerant Maize Varieties under Rainfall Stress in Malawi," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 70(1), pages 198-214, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jageco:v:70:y:2019:i:1:p:198-214
    DOI: 10.1111/1477-9552.12283
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    1. Bairagi, Subir & Bhandari, Humnath & Kumar Das, Subrata & Mohanty, Samarendu, 2021. "Flood-tolerant rice improves climate resilience, profitability, and household consumption in Bangladesh," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    2. Averi Chakrabarti & Aurélie P. Harou & Jessica Fanzo & Cheryl A. Palm, 2024. "Exploring agriculture-child nutrition pathways: Evidence from Malawi’s Farm Input Subsidy Program," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 16(1), pages 201-221, February.
    3. Varshney, Deepak & Mishra, Ashok K. & Joshi, Pramod K. & Roy, Devesh, 2022. "Social networks, heterogeneity, and adoption of technologies: Evidence from India," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C).
    4. Makate, Clifton & Angelsen, Arild & Holden, Stein Terje & Westengen, Ola Tveitereid, 2023. "Evolution of farm-level crop diversification and response to rainfall shocks in smallholder farming: Evidence from Malawi and Tanzania," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 205(C).
    5. Kazushi Takahashi & Rie Muraoka & Keijiro Otsuka, 2020. "Technology adoption, impact, and extension in developing countries’ agriculture: A review of the recent literature," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 51(1), pages 31-45, January.
    6. Mulungu, Kelvin & Manning, Dale T. & Bozzola, Martina, 2025. "Once bitten, twice shy? Direct and indirect effects of weather shocks on fertilizer and improved seeds use," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    7. Makate, Clifton & Angelsen, Arild & Mulesa, Teshome Hunduma & Westengen, Ola Tveitereid, 2025. "The dynamics of crop diversity and seed use in the context of recurrent climate shocks and poverty: Seasonal panel data evidence from rural Uganda," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 39(C).
    8. Clifton Makate & Arild Angelsen & Stein Terje Holden & Ola Tveitereid Westengen, 2024. "Smallholder access to purchased seeds in the presence of pervasive market imperfections and rainfall shocks: panel data evidence from Malawi and Ethiopia," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 12(1), pages 1-28, December.
    9. Fujimoto, Takefumi & Suzuki, Aya, 2021. "Do Fertilizer and Seed Subsidies Strengthen Farmers' Market Participation? the Impact of Tanzania NAIVS on Farmers' Purchase of Agricultural Inputs and Their Maize-Selling Activities," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315044, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    10. Abdul Muis Hasibuan & Daniel Gregg & Randy Stringer, 2021. "The role of certification, risk and time preferences in promoting adoption of climate-resilient citrus varieties in Indonesia," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 164(3), pages 1-21, February.
    11. Samson P. Katengeza & Stein T. Holden, 2021. "Productivity impact of drought tolerant maize varieties under rainfall stress in Malawi: A continuous treatment approach," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 52(1), pages 157-171, January.
    12. Tione, Grace & Westengen, Ola Tveitereid & Holden, Stein Terje & Katengeza, Samson P. & Makate, Clifton, 2025. "Contribution of Community Seed Banks to farmer seed systems and food security in Northern and Central Malawi," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).
    13. Burke, William J. & Jayne, Thom S. & Snapp, Sieglinde S., 2022. "Nitrogen efficiency by soil quality and management regimes on Malawi farms: Can fertilizer use remain profitable?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    14. Grewer, Uwe & Kim, Dong-Hyuk & Waha, Katharina, 2024. "Too much, too soon? Early-maturing maize varieties as drought escape strategy in Malawi," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    15. Holden, Stein T. & Tione, Sarah & Tilahun, Mesfin & Katengeza, Samson, 2026. "Are university students less trusting and trustworthy than rural people in Malawi?," CLTS Working Papers 3/26, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Centre for Land Tenure Studies.
    16. Makate, Clifton & Angelsen, Arild & Holden, Stein Terje & Westengen, Ola Tveitereid, 2022. "Crops in crises: Shocks shape smallholders' diversification in rural Ethiopia," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    17. Clifton Makate & Marshall Makate & Nelson Mango, 2019. "Wealth-related inequalities in adoption of drought-tolerant maize and conservation agriculture in Zimbabwe," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 11(4), pages 881-896, August.
    18. Masithembe Sigigaba & Lelethu Mdoda & Asanda Mditshwa, 2021. "Adoption Drivers of Improved Open-Pollinated (OPVs) Maize Varieties by Smallholder Farmers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-18, December.
    19. Zeeshan Ahmed & Dongwei Gui & Ghulam Murtaza & Liu Yunfei, 2025. "From scarcity to sustainability: agriculture intensification for food security and climate resilience in drylands," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 30(8), pages 1-64, December.
    20. Shimelis Araya Geda & Rainer Kühl, 2021. "Exploring Smallholder Farmers’ Preferences for Climate-Smart Seed Innovations: Empirical Evidence from Southern Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-17, March.
    21. Clifton Makate & Marshall Makate, 2022. "Do Rainfall Shocks Prompt Commercial Input Purchases Amongst Smallholder Farmers in Diverse Regions and Environments in Malawi?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-31, November.
    22. Jeetendra Prakash Aryal & Dil Bahadur Rahut & Paswel Marenya, 2025. "Do ex-ante and ex-post strategies to manage drought differ at the farm household level? A case of sub-Saharan Africa," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(12), pages 28821-28845, December.
    23. Hongyun Zheng & Wanglin Ma & Gucheng Li, 2021. "Learning from neighboring farmers: Does spatial dependence affect adoption of drought‐tolerant wheat varieties in China?," Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie, Canadian Agricultural Economics Society/Societe canadienne d'agroeconomie, vol. 69(4), pages 519-537, December.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • Q18 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Agricultural Policy; Food Policy; Animal Welfare Policy

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