Agricultural household effects of fertilizer price changes for smallholder farmers in central Malawi

This simulation study explored the agricultural household effects of changes in the price of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer for farmers in central Malawi. We selected the Dedza district to conduct this study, which is a district reliant on maize production for household livelihoods. This study used d...

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Autores principales: Komarek, Adam M., Drogue, Sophie, Chenoune, Roza, Hawkins, James, Msangi, Siwa, Hatem, Belhouchette, Flichman, Guillermo
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Elsevier 2017
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/146273
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author Komarek, Adam M.
Drogue, Sophie
Chenoune, Roza
Hawkins, James
Msangi, Siwa
Hatem, Belhouchette
Flichman, Guillermo
author_browse Chenoune, Roza
Drogue, Sophie
Flichman, Guillermo
Hatem, Belhouchette
Hawkins, James
Komarek, Adam M.
Msangi, Siwa
author_facet Komarek, Adam M.
Drogue, Sophie
Chenoune, Roza
Hawkins, James
Msangi, Siwa
Hatem, Belhouchette
Flichman, Guillermo
author_sort Komarek, Adam M.
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This simulation study explored the agricultural household effects of changes in the price of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer for farmers in central Malawi. We selected the Dedza district to conduct this study, which is a district reliant on maize production for household livelihoods. This study used data from a household survey to develop and calibrate an agricultural household model for a representative household. The survey focused on socio-economic and agronomic factors. This included plot-level agronomic details for crop inputs and yields. Using our dynamic model, we found a negative association between fertilizer prices and fertilizer use, maize area, and income. Removing fertilizer prices led to an increased use of nitrogen fertilizer at the household scale from 16.8 kg to 49.6 kg and this helped increase household income by 52%. We calculated an average own-price elasticity of fertilizer demand of − 0.92. Although higher fertilizer prices increased legume acreage, which had potential environmental benefits, household income fell. Our benefit-cost ratio calculations suggest that government actions that deliver changes in fertilizer prices are relatively cost effective. Our study highlights the reliance of households on maize production and consumption for their livelihood, and the effects that changes in fertilizer prices can have upon them.
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spelling CGSpace1462732025-03-03T19:54:14Z Agricultural household effects of fertilizer price changes for smallholder farmers in central Malawi Komarek, Adam M. Drogue, Sophie Chenoune, Roza Hawkins, James Msangi, Siwa Hatem, Belhouchette Flichman, Guillermo nitrogen fertilizers bioeconomics fertilizers benefit-cost ratio cropping systems households agricultural policies smallholders land use subsidies prices This simulation study explored the agricultural household effects of changes in the price of inorganic nitrogen fertilizer for farmers in central Malawi. We selected the Dedza district to conduct this study, which is a district reliant on maize production for household livelihoods. This study used data from a household survey to develop and calibrate an agricultural household model for a representative household. The survey focused on socio-economic and agronomic factors. This included plot-level agronomic details for crop inputs and yields. Using our dynamic model, we found a negative association between fertilizer prices and fertilizer use, maize area, and income. Removing fertilizer prices led to an increased use of nitrogen fertilizer at the household scale from 16.8 kg to 49.6 kg and this helped increase household income by 52%. We calculated an average own-price elasticity of fertilizer demand of − 0.92. Although higher fertilizer prices increased legume acreage, which had potential environmental benefits, household income fell. Our benefit-cost ratio calculations suggest that government actions that deliver changes in fertilizer prices are relatively cost effective. Our study highlights the reliance of households on maize production and consumption for their livelihood, and the effects that changes in fertilizer prices can have upon them. 2017-06 2024-06-21T09:06:26Z 2024-06-21T09:06:26Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/146273 en Open Access Elsevier Komarek, Adam M.; Drogue, Sophie; Chenoune, Roza; Hawkins, James; Msangi, Siwa; Belhouchette, Hatem; and Flichman, Guillermo. 2017. Agricultural household effects of fertilizer price changes for smallholder farmers in central Malawi. Agricultural Systems 154(June 2017): 168-178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2017.03.016
spellingShingle nitrogen fertilizers
bioeconomics
fertilizers
benefit-cost ratio
cropping systems
households
agricultural policies
smallholders
land use
subsidies
prices
Komarek, Adam M.
Drogue, Sophie
Chenoune, Roza
Hawkins, James
Msangi, Siwa
Hatem, Belhouchette
Flichman, Guillermo
Agricultural household effects of fertilizer price changes for smallholder farmers in central Malawi
title Agricultural household effects of fertilizer price changes for smallholder farmers in central Malawi
title_full Agricultural household effects of fertilizer price changes for smallholder farmers in central Malawi
title_fullStr Agricultural household effects of fertilizer price changes for smallholder farmers in central Malawi
title_full_unstemmed Agricultural household effects of fertilizer price changes for smallholder farmers in central Malawi
title_short Agricultural household effects of fertilizer price changes for smallholder farmers in central Malawi
title_sort agricultural household effects of fertilizer price changes for smallholder farmers in central malawi
topic nitrogen fertilizers
bioeconomics
fertilizers
benefit-cost ratio
cropping systems
households
agricultural policies
smallholders
land use
subsidies
prices
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/146273
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