Can modern input use be promoted without subsidies?: An analysis of fertilizer in Ethiopia

Fertilizer use in Ethiopia has nearly quintupled since official elimination of direct input subsidies in the early 1990s. During this time, policies changed from liberalization, with both private and public sector participation, to a government monopoly over imports along with exclusive marketing th...

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Main Authors: Rashid, Shahidur, Tefera, Nigussie, Minot, Nicholas, Ayele, Gezahegn
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Wiley 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152928
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author Rashid, Shahidur
Tefera, Nigussie
Minot, Nicholas
Ayele, Gezahegn
author_browse Ayele, Gezahegn
Minot, Nicholas
Rashid, Shahidur
Tefera, Nigussie
author_facet Rashid, Shahidur
Tefera, Nigussie
Minot, Nicholas
Ayele, Gezahegn
author_sort Rashid, Shahidur
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Fertilizer use in Ethiopia has nearly quintupled since official elimination of direct input subsidies in the early 1990s. During this time, policies changed from liberalization, with both private and public sector participation, to a government monopoly over imports along with exclusive marketing through farmers’ cooperatives. This article presents estimates of detail costs and margins in the value chain, econometrically derived profitability and yield responses, as well as costs of the government's fertilizer promotion policies. Results suggest that (a) irrespective of the methods of calculation, fertilizer use in major cereal is profitable; (b) while there is no official subsidy program, fertilizer promotion has involved large fiscal costs—estimated at US$40 million per year since 2008; and (c) there has been a mismatch between government's policy targets and the effective fertilizer demand, resulting in large carryover stock with estimated implicit costs of US$30 million per year during 2008–2011. Areas of policy attention, value chain improvements, and ongoing efforts to improve for fertilizer use and profitability are discussed.
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spelling CGSpace1529282024-11-15T08:52:34Z Can modern input use be promoted without subsidies?: An analysis of fertilizer in Ethiopia Rashid, Shahidur Tefera, Nigussie Minot, Nicholas Ayele, Gezahegn fertilizers farm inputs agricultural policies marketing value chains Fertilizer use in Ethiopia has nearly quintupled since official elimination of direct input subsidies in the early 1990s. During this time, policies changed from liberalization, with both private and public sector participation, to a government monopoly over imports along with exclusive marketing through farmers’ cooperatives. This article presents estimates of detail costs and margins in the value chain, econometrically derived profitability and yield responses, as well as costs of the government's fertilizer promotion policies. Results suggest that (a) irrespective of the methods of calculation, fertilizer use in major cereal is profitable; (b) while there is no official subsidy program, fertilizer promotion has involved large fiscal costs—estimated at US$40 million per year since 2008; and (c) there has been a mismatch between government's policy targets and the effective fertilizer demand, resulting in large carryover stock with estimated implicit costs of US$30 million per year during 2008–2011. Areas of policy attention, value chain improvements, and ongoing efforts to improve for fertilizer use and profitability are discussed. 2013-11 2024-10-01T13:55:22Z 2024-10-01T13:55:22Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152928 en Limited Access Wiley Rashid, Shahidur; Tefera, Nigussie; Minot, Nicholas and Ayele, Gezahegn;. 2013. Can modern input use be promoted without subsidies? An analysis of fertilizer in Ethiopia. Agricultural Economics 44(6): 595-611. Special Issue on Input Subsidy Programs (ISPs) in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/agec.12076/abstract
spellingShingle fertilizers
farm inputs
agricultural policies
marketing
value chains
Rashid, Shahidur
Tefera, Nigussie
Minot, Nicholas
Ayele, Gezahegn
Can modern input use be promoted without subsidies?: An analysis of fertilizer in Ethiopia
title Can modern input use be promoted without subsidies?: An analysis of fertilizer in Ethiopia
title_full Can modern input use be promoted without subsidies?: An analysis of fertilizer in Ethiopia
title_fullStr Can modern input use be promoted without subsidies?: An analysis of fertilizer in Ethiopia
title_full_unstemmed Can modern input use be promoted without subsidies?: An analysis of fertilizer in Ethiopia
title_short Can modern input use be promoted without subsidies?: An analysis of fertilizer in Ethiopia
title_sort can modern input use be promoted without subsidies an analysis of fertilizer in ethiopia
topic fertilizers
farm inputs
agricultural policies
marketing
value chains
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/152928
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