How Productive is Rural Infrastructure? Evidence on Some Agricultural Crops in Colombia

Ignacio Lozano-Espitia and Lina Ma. Ramírez-Villegas ()
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Lina Ma. Ramírez-Villegas: Banco de la República de Colombia

Borradores de Economia from Banco de la Republica de Colombia

Abstract: This paper evaluates the role of rural infrastructure on the performance of some agricultural crops in Colombia. The study utilizes geo-referenced cross sectional data of four crops, coffee, rice, beans and plantains, collected for the majority of municipalities. Using genetic matching models, we find that both having access to irrigation and drainage systems and better infrastructure for marketing –rural roads and nearby retail and wholesale centers– significantly increase crop yield as well as planted and harvested areas. Results are robust to a suitable set of matching algorithms. The positive and significant impact on agricultural development provides support to reorient agricultural policy towards the supply of public goods that pushes up productivity.

Keywords: Public Goods; Agricultural Productivity; Irrigation System; Road Maintenance; Treatment Effect Models (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C21 H41 Q12 Q15 R42 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 20
Date: 2016-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-dev, nep-eff, nep-ger and nep-lam
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bdr:borrec:948

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