IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ags/midasp/290062.html

Economic Analysis Of On-Farm Trials: A Review Of Approaches And Implications For Research Program Design

Author

Listed:
  • Boughton, Duncan
  • Crawford, Eric
  • Krause, Mark
  • Henry de Frahan, Bruno

Abstract

Farming systems research has set itself the ambitious goal of developing technologies that are widely adopted by resource poor farmers. This goal has generally proved to be far more elusive than originally hoped. The problem does not lie with the principles of farming systems research (i.e., research that is farmer oriented, interdisiciplinary and employs a systems perspective). Part of the problem, particularly for Sahelian countries, is the lack of technologies "on the shelf" to offer farmers. Part of the problem, also,is inadequately developed markets for credit, inputs and products. Even when due allowance has been made for these constraints, however, farming systems research has not yielded its full potential. The reason is simple - farming systems research is hard to do (Herdt, 1987). It is physically hard, and it is intellectually hard. Conventional research tools are not well adapted to farmer participatory research. Communication, with farmers and with other disciplines, is a struggle. As a result, every farming systems research team (and every team member) must engage in a learning process through which the necessary expertise and mutual understanding can be developed. The goal of this paper is to make a contribution to this learning process, in the Senegalese context. The subject matter is the economic analysis of on-farm trials. What can be learned from such analysis that is useful to farming systems or commodity-oriented research teams? How should it be done and what practical advances in method have taken place recently? What data are required and how should they be collected? Although the subject matter is economic analysis, the paper is addressed to team members from all disciplines. Like new technology, the information gained from economic analysis is only useful if it is adopted, i.e., incorporated into the design of further experimental work or the formulation of farmer recommendations. This can only be achieved if the objectives, concepts and methods of economic analysis are understood and accepted by all team members.

Suggested Citation

  • Boughton, Duncan & Crawford, Eric & Krause, Mark & Henry de Frahan, Bruno, "undated". "Economic Analysis Of On-Farm Trials: A Review Of Approaches And Implications For Research Program Design," Staff Paper Series 290062, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:midasp:290062
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.290062
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/290062/files/boughton_crawford_etal_SP90-78.with_cover.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.22004/ag.econ.290062?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Douglas Barnett & Brian Blake & Bruce A. McCarl, 1982. "Goal Programming via Multidimensional Scaling Applied to Senegalese Subsistence Farms," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 64(4), pages 720-727.
    2. Christopher L. Delgado & John McIntire, 1982. "Constraints on Oxen Cultivation in the Sahel," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 64(2), pages 188-196.
    3. Eric W. Crawford & Robert A. Milligan, 1982. "A Multi-Year, Stochastic, Farm Simulation Model for Northern Nigeria: An Experimental Design Approach," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 64(4), pages 728-737.
    4. Collinson, M.P., 1982. "Farming Systems Research in Eastern Africa: The Experience of CIMMYT and Some National Agricultural Research Services, 1976-81," Food Security International Development Papers 54068, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    5. M. A. Krause & R. R. Deuson & T. G. Baker & P. V. Preckel & J. Lowenberg-DeBoer & K. C. Reddy & K. Maliki, 1990. "Risk Sharing versus Low-Cost Credit Systems for International Development," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 72(4), pages 911-922.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. McCarl, Bruce A., 1984. "Model Validation: An Overview with some Emphasis on Risk Models," Review of Marketing and Agricultural Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 52(03), pages 1-21, December.
    2. Fleming, Euan M. & Hardaker, J. Brian, 1993. "Micro-Level Approaches to Analysing Rural Development Problems," Review of Marketing and Agricultural Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 61(02), pages 1-14, August.
    3. Timothy J. Lowe & Paul V. Preckel, 2004. "Decision Technologies for Agribusiness Problems: A Brief Review of Selected Literature and a Call for Research," Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, INFORMS, vol. 6(3), pages 201-208.
    4. McCarl, Bruce A., 1992. "Mathematical Programming For Resource Policy Appraisal Under Multiple Objectives," Working Papers 11888, Environmental and Natural Resources Policy Training Project.
    5. Low, Allan, 1995. "Reorientation Of Research And Extension For Small Farmers: Requirements For Effective Implementation," Agrekon, Agricultural Economics Association of South Africa (AEASA), vol. 34(01), March.
    6. Boughton, Duncan & Staatz, John M. & Shaffer, James D., 1994. "Analyzing the Impact of Structural Adjustment on Commodity Subsectors: Currency Devaluation and the Maize Subsector in Mali," Staff Paper Series 201195, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    7. Kingsbury, David S., 1989. "User's Manual for the SADCC Cereals Trade Database Compiled by the University of Zimbabwe and Michigan State University," Food Security International Development Working Papers 54736, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    8. Byerlee, Derek & Heisey, Paul W., 1996. "Past and potential impacts of maize research in sub-Saharan Africa: a critical assessment," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 255-277, July.
    9. Rozakis, Stelios & Sintori, Alexandra & Tsiboukas, Konstantinos, 2012. "Estimating utility functions of Greek dairy sheep farmers: A multicriteria mathematical programming approach," Agricultural Economics Review, Greek Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 13(01), pages 1-10.
    10. Brandao, Elizabeth Santos & McCarl, Bruce A. & Schuh, G. Edward, 1984. "Predicting The Impact Of New Cropping Practices Upon Subsistence Farming: A Farm Level Analysis In Brazil," Western Journal of Agricultural Economics, Western Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 9(2), pages 1-13, December.
    11. Basarir, Aydin & Gillespie, Jeffrey M., 2003. "Goals Of Beef Cattle And Dairy Producers: A Comparison Of The Fuzzy Pair-Wise Method And Simple Ranking Procedure," 2003 Annual Meeting, February 1-5, 2003, Mobile, Alabama 35163, Southern Agricultural Economics Association.
    12. Worstell, James & Colley, Barry, 1993. "Enabling Resilience and Enhancing Assets: Famine Mitigation from a Seeds and Tools Perspective," USDA Miscellaneous 336999, United States Department of Agriculture.
    13. Delia E. McMillan, 1987. "Monitoring the Evolution of Household Economic Systems over Time in Farming Systems Research," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 18(2), pages 295-314, April.
    14. Baidu-Forson, J. & Renard, C., 1996. "Comparing productivity of millet-based cropping systems in unstable environments of the Sahel: possibilities and challenges," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 51(1), pages 85-95.
    15. Otima, Ruth M. A., 1994. "Predicting loan repayment performance: a case of Kenyan farm borrowers," ISU General Staff Papers 1994010108000018175, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    16. Peres, Fernando Curi & Ambrosio, Luis Alberto & Donzelli, Pedro, 1999. "Planning for Sustainable Watershed Soil Use: A Goal Programming Approach," 12th Congress, Durban, South Africa, July 18-24, 1999 346553, International Farm Management Association.
    17. Flores, Hector & Villalobos, J. Rene, 2018. "A modeling framework for the strategic design of local fresh-food systems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 1-15.
    18. Zenebe Gebreegziabher & Kooten, G. Cornelis van, . "Single versus Multiple Objective(s) Decision Making: An Application to Subsistence Farms in Northern Ethiopia," Ethiopian Journal of Economics, Ethiopian Economics Association, vol. 24(2).
    19. Biggs SD. & Clay EJ., 1983. "Generation and diffusion of agricultural technology: a review of theories and experiences," ILO Working Papers 992260213402676, International Labour Organization.
    20. Swinton, Scott M. & Black, J. Roy, 2000. "Modeling Of Agricultural Systems," Staff Paper Series 11581, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:ags:midasp:290062. 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: AgEcon Search (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/damsuus.html .

    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.