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Market access by smallholder farmers in Malawi

Author

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  • Zeller, Manfred
  • Diagne, Aliou
  • Mataya, Charles

Abstract

In Malawi, maize is the major crop and food staple. Given limited off-farm employment opportunities, much-needed increases in household income for improving food security must come from gains in agricultural productivity through better technology and more profitable crops. In the past, agricultural policy promoted hybrid maize and, more recently, tobacco to increase smallholder income. This paper presents an analysis of what determines the adoption of these two crops and what kind of income effects follow from adoption. Apart from factor endowment and exposure to agroecological risks, differences in the household's access to financial and commodity markets significantly influence its cropping shares and farm income.

Suggested Citation

  • Zeller, Manfred & Diagne, Aliou & Mataya, Charles, 1997. "Market access by smallholder farmers in Malawi," FCND discussion papers 35, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    • Handle: RePEc:fpr:fcnddp:35
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Feder, Gershon & Just, Richard E & Zilberman, David, 1985. "Adoption of Agricultural Innovations in Developing Countries: A Survey," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 33(2), pages 255-298, January.
    2. Smale, Melinda & Heisey, Paul W & Leathers, Howard D, 1995. "Maize of the Ancestors and Modern Varieties: The Microeconomics of High-Yielding Variety Adoption in Malawi," Economic Development and Cultural Change, University of Chicago Press, vol. 43(2), pages 351-368, January.
    3. Kumar, Shubh K., 1994. "Adoption of hybrid maize in Zambia: effects on gender roles, food consumption, and nutrition," Research reports 100, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. Zeller, Manfred & Ahmed, Akhter U. & Babu, Suresh Chandra & Broca, Sumiter S. & Diagne, Aliou & Sharma, Manohar, 1996. "Rural finance policies for food security of the poor," FCND discussion papers 11, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Guy Nkamleu & Joachim Nyemeck & Jim Gockowsk, 2010. "Working Paper 104 - Technology Gap and Efficiency in Cocoa Production in West and Central Africa: Implications for Cocoa Sector Development," Working Paper Series 241, African Development Bank.
    2. Mendola, Mariapia & Simtowe, Franklin, 2015. "The Welfare Impact of Land Redistribution: Evidence from a Quasi-Experimental Initiative in Malawi," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 53-69.
    3. Boris Bravo & Horacio Cocchi & Daniel Solís, 2006. "Adoption of Soil Conservation Technologies in El Salvador: A cross-Section and Over-Time Analysis," OVE Working Papers 1806, Inter-American Development Bank, Office of Evaluation and Oversight (OVE).
    4. Awotide, B.A. & Abdoulaye, Tahirou & Alene, Arega & Manyong, Victor M., 2015. "Impact of Access to Credit on Agricultural Productivity: Evidence from Smallholder Cassava Farmers in Nigeria," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 210969, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    5. Simtowe, Franklin, 2006. "Can Risk-aversion towards fertilizer explain part of the non-adoption puzzle for hybrid maize? Empirical evidence from Malawi," MPRA Paper 1241, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 20 Dec 2006.
    6. Mudege, Netsayi N & Kapalasa, Eliya & Chevo, Tafadzwa & Nyekanyeka, Ted & Demo, Paul, 2015. "Gender norms and the marketing of seeds and ware potatoes in Malawi," Journal of Gender, Agriculture and Food Security (Agri-Gender), Africa Centre for Gender, Social Research and Impact Assessment, vol. 1(2).
    7. Diagne, Aliou & Zeller, Manfred, 2001. "Access to credit and its impact on welfare in Malawi:," Research reports 116, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    8. Vuong Quoc, Duy, 2012. "Determinants of household access to formal credit in the rural areas of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam," MPRA Paper 38202, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Nguyen Viet, Cuong, 2008. "Impact Evaluation of Multiple Overlapping Programs using Difference-in-differences with Matching," MPRA Paper 24899, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Takane, Tsutomu, 2007. "Gambling with Liberalization: Smallholder Livelihoods in Contemporary Rural Malawi," IDE Discussion Papers 117, Institute of Developing Economies, Japan External Trade Organization(JETRO).

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