IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v7y2015i3p2858-2870d46546.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Effects of Weather Variability on Crop Abandonment

Author

Listed:
  • Kelvin Mulungu

    (International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)-HarvestPlus, C/O WorldFish Center, Lusaka 10101, Zambia)

  • Gelson Tembo

    (Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Zambia, Lusaka 10101, Zambia)

Abstract

In Zambia, every year some parts of the maize fields are abandoned post-planting. Reasons for this are not clearly known. In this paper, we examine the influence of soil and climatic factors on crop abandonment using a six-year (2007–2012) panel data by modeling the planted-to-harvested ratio (a good indicator of crop abandonment) using a fractional and linear approach. Therefore, for the first time, our study appropriately (as supported by the model specification tests that favour fractional probit over linear) models the fractional nature of crop abandonment. Regression results, which are not very different between the two specifications, indicate that, more than anything, high rainfall immediately after planting and inadequate fertilizer are the leading determinants of crop abandonment. In the agro-ecological region where dry planting takes place, low temperature during planting months negatively affects the harvested area. The results have implications on the sustainability of farming systems in the face of a changing climate.

Suggested Citation

  • Kelvin Mulungu & Gelson Tembo, 2015. "Effects of Weather Variability on Crop Abandonment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-13, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:3:p:2858-2870:d:46546
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/3/2858/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/7/3/2858/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Javier Gardeazabal, 2010. "Vote Shares in Spanish General Elections as a Fractional Response to the Economy and Conflict," Economics of Security Working Paper Series 33, DIW Berlin, German Institute for Economic Research.
    2. Burke, William J. & Jayne, Thomas S. & Chapoto, Antony, 2010. "Factors Contributing to Zambia's 2010 Maize Bumper Harvest," Food Security Collaborative Working Papers 97036, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    3. Hualin Xie & Peng Wang & Guanrong Yao, 2014. "Exploring the Dynamic Mechanisms of Farmland Abandonment Based on a Spatially Explicit Economic Model for Environmental Sustainability: A Case Study in Jiangxi Province, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-23, March.
    4. Jeffrey M. Wooldridge, 2011. "Fractional response models with endogeneous explanatory variables and heterogeneity," CHI11 Stata Conference 12, Stata Users Group.
    5. Deressa, Temesgen Tadesse, 2007. "Measuring the economic impact of climate change on Ethiopian agriculture : Ricardian approach," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4342, The World Bank.
    6. Papke, Leslie E. & Wooldridge, Jeffrey M., 2008. "Panel data methods for fractional response variables with an application to test pass rates," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 145(1-2), pages 121-133, July.
    7. Kabubo-Mariara, Jane & Karanja, Fredrick K, 2007. "The economic impact of climate change on Kenyan crop agriculture : a ricardian approach," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4334, The World Bank.
    8. Chen, Shu-Ling & Miranda, Mario J., 2007. "Effects of Insurance on Farmer Crop Abandonment," 2007 Annual Meeting, July 29-August 1, 2007, Portland, Oregon 9846, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    9. Shipekesa, Arthur M. & Jayne, Thomas S., 2011. "Why Are Zambian Farmers Not Harvesting All Their Maize?," Food Security Collaborative Policy Briefs 113647, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    10. Papke, Leslie E & Wooldridge, Jeffrey M, 1996. "Econometric Methods for Fractional Response Variables with an Application to 401(K) Plan Participation Rates," Journal of Applied Econometrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 11(6), pages 619-632, Nov.-Dec..
    11. Temesgen Tadesse Deressa & Rashid M. Hassan, 2009. "Economic Impact of Climate Change on Crop Production in Ethiopia: Evidence from Cross-section Measures," Journal of African Economies, Centre for the Study of African Economies, vol. 18(4), pages 529-554, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Chukwujekwu A. Obianefo & John N. Ng’ombe & Agness Mzyece & Blessing Masasi & Ngozi J. Obiekwe & Oluchi O. Anumudu, 2021. "Technical Efficiency and Technological Gaps of Rice Production in Anambra State, Nigeria," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Chekenya, Nixon S., 2023. "Climate-induced crop failure and crop abandonment: What do we know and not know?," African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, African Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 18(2), October.
    3. Kelvin Mulungu & Gelson Tembo & Hilary Bett & Hambulo Ngoma, 2021. "Climate change and crop yields in Zambia: historical effects and future projections," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(8), pages 11859-11880, August.
    4. Hashmiu, Ishmael & Agbenyega, Olivia & Dawoe, Evans, 2022. "Determinants of crop choice decisions under risk: A case study on the revival of cocoa farming in the Forest-Savannah transition zone of Ghana," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dzanku, Fred M., 2015. "Household-specific food price differentials and high-value crop production in rural Ghana," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 73-82.
    2. Hodjo, Manzamasso & Dalton, Timothy & Nakelse, Tebila, 2021. "Cereal Land Allocation Under Weather and Price Uncertainties in West Africa," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315177, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    3. Asimakopoulos, Grigorios & Revilla, Antonio & Rodríguez, Alicia, 2023. "International R&D sourcing, innovation and firm age: The advantage of ‘born-international sourcers’," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    4. Koelling Arnd, 2017. "Labor Demand and Unequal Payments: Does Wage Dispersion Matter? Using German Employer-Employee Data to Analyze the Influence of Intra-Firm Wage Inequality on Labor Demand," Review of Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 68(1), pages 1-39, April.
    5. Kelvin Mulungu & Gelson Tembo & Hilary Bett & Hambulo Ngoma, 2021. "Climate change and crop yields in Zambia: historical effects and future projections," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(8), pages 11859-11880, August.
    6. Chekenya, Nixon S., 2023. "Climate-induced crop failure and crop abandonment: What do we know and not know?," African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, African Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 18(2), October.
    7. Nirup Menon & Anant Mishra & Shun Ye, 2020. "Beyond Related Experience: Upstream vs. Downstream Experience in Innovation Contest Platforms with Interdependent Problem Domains," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 22(5), pages 1045-1065, September.
    8. Lin-Hua Lu & Poh-Kam Wong, 2019. "Performance feedback, financial slack and the innovation behavior of firms," Asia Pacific Journal of Management, Springer, vol. 36(4), pages 1079-1109, December.
    9. Pericoli, F.M. & Pierucci, E. & Ventura, L., 2013. "Cross-border equity portfolio choices and the diversification motive: A fractional regression approach," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 121(2), pages 282-286.
    10. Fernando Arbués & María A. García-Valiñas & Inmaculada Villanúa, 2020. "Making decisions on industrial water sources: the case of Zaragoza, Spain," Post-Print hal-03191503, HAL.
    11. Rhoda Mofya-Mukuka & Munguzwe Hichaambwa, 2018. "Livelihood effects of crop diversification: a panel data analysis of rural farm households in Zambia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(6), pages 1449-1462, December.
    12. Alessandro Barattieri & Matteo Cacciatore, 2023. "Self-Harming Trade Policy? Protectionism and Production Networks," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 15(2), pages 97-128, April.
    13. Meyer, Ina & Kaniovski, Serguei & Scheffran, Jürgen, 2012. "Scenarios for regional passenger car fleets and their CO2 emissions," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 66-74.
    14. Nicole M. Mason & Thomas S. Jayne & Nicolas van de Walle, 2017. "The Political Economy of Fertilizer Subsidy Programs in Africa: Evidence from Zambia," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 99(3), pages 705-731.
    15. Amat Adarov & Robert Stehrer, 2020. "Capital dynamics, global value chains, competitiveness and barriers to FDI and capital accumulation in the EU," JRC Research Reports JRC121096, Joint Research Centre.
    16. Costa-Font, Joan & Vilaplana-Prieto, Cristina, 2022. "Health shocks and housing downsizing: How persistent is ‘ageing in place’?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 490-508.
    17. Céline Nauges & Jon Strand, 2017. "Water Hauling and Girls’ School Attendance: Some New Evidence from Ghana," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 66(1), pages 65-88, January.
    18. Øien Henning, 2013. "Do Local Governments Respond to (Perverse) Financial Incentives in Long-Term Care Funding Schemes?," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 14(2), pages 525-549, August.
    19. Leila Bengali & Mary C. Daly & Olivia Lofton & Robert G. Valletta, 2021. "The Economic Status of People with Disabilities and Their Families since the Great Recession," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 695(1), pages 123-142, May.
    20. Guccio, C. & Lisi, D., 2014. "Social interactions in inappropriate behavior for childbirth services: Theory and evidence from the Italian hospital sector," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 14/28, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:7:y:2015:i:3:p:2858-2870:d:46546. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.