How profitable is sustainable intensification? The case of fertilizer micro-dosing in Niger

Lenis Liverpool-Tasie, Awa Sanou and Kizito Mazvimavi

No 205879, 2015 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 26-28, San Francisco, California from Agricultural and Applied Economics Association

Abstract: This paper uses panel data techniques to identify the yield response to various fertilizer application techniques in rural Niger. Empirical evidence on the profitability of fertilizer micro-dosing is provided to confirm if the observed low adoption of the technique is contrary to what is expected given its expected profitability. Particular attention is paid to the effects of fertilizer micro-dosing on demand for complementary inputs such as labor. The study finds no empirical evidence that micro-dosing is more labor intensive than traditional methods of fertilizer application, as is conventionally thought. Study results indicate that while micro-dosing on its own is more profitable than using no fertilizer, other techniques such as mixing fertilizer with seeds at planting might be more attractive because they require significantly less fertilizer than the traditional approach or micro-dosing. Any yield returns from fertilizer micro-dosing compared to mixing do not appear to be sufficient to compensate for the higher costs associated with the higher quantity of fertilizer required.

Keywords: International Development; Productivity Analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 37
Date: 2015-05-28
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:aaea15:205879

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.205879

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