The profitability of inorganic fertilizer use in smallholder maize production in Tanzania: Implications for alternative and complementary strategies to improve smallholder maize productivity

David Mather, Isaac Minde, Betty Waized, Daniel Ndyetabula and Anna Temu

No 260437, Food Security Collaborative Policy Briefs from Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics

Abstract: We use plot-level data from the National Panel Survey to estimate maize - N respon se rates and the profitability of inorganic fertilizer use. We find that average smallholder maize-N response rates are not even 50% of those from zonal center trials, implying that there is a considerable gap between actual and potential returns from fertilizer use. Fertilizer use on maize is only marginally profitable for farmers with average response rates, even in higher potential zones. Farmers who used improved maize seed, fallowed a plot more recently and/or received an extension visit have higher response rates and more profitable fertilizer use, yet fallowing is infrequent and extension does not reach most farmers.

Keywords: Agricultural and Food Policy; Food Security and Poverty; International Development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 6
Date: 2016-12-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:midcpb:260437

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.260437

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