Can Agricultural Extension and Input Support Be Discontinued? Evidence from a Randomized Phaseout in Uganda

Ram Fishman (), Stephen Smith, Vida Bobic and Munshi Sulaiman ()
Additional contact information
Ram Fishman: Tel Aviv University
Vida Bobic: George Washington University
Munshi Sulaiman: BRAC University

No 12476, IZA Discussion Papers from Institute of Labor Economics (IZA)

Abstract: Many development programs that attempt to disseminate improved technologies are limited in duration, either because of external funding constraints or an assumption of impact sustainability; but there is limited evidence on whether and when terminating such programs is efficient. We provide novel experimental evidence on the impacts of a randomized phase-out of an extension and subsidy program that promotes improved inputs and cultivation practices among smallholder women farmers in Uganda. We find that phase-out does not diminish the use of either practices or inputs, as farmers shift purchases from NGO-sponsored village-based supply networks to market sources. These results indicate short-term interventions can suffice to trigger persistent effects, consistent with models of technology adoption that emphasize learning from experience.

Keywords: agricultural extension; agricultural technology adoption; food security; supply chain; subsidies; randomized phaseout; high-yielding varieties; randomized controlled trial; Uganda (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I32 O13 O33 Q12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 54 pages
Date: 2019-07
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr, nep-dev and nep-exp
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Published - published in: Review of Economics and Statistics, 2022, 104 (6), 1273–1288.

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