Abstract
This chapter examines the effect of new farm technology on the income of poor farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) using the case study of NERICA rice in Central and Western Uganda. NERICA has the potential to increase per capita income by $20 (12% of actual per capita income) and to decrease the poverty incidence, measured by the head count ratio, by 5% points. Such a positive effect of NERICA, however, can only be realized when its adoption is combined with the use of appropriate cropping patterns to maintain soil fertility. The study also finds that accessibility to information and experience of non-NERICA rice cultivation increase the probability of adopting NERICA.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
The selected areas are the districts of Masindi, Kibaale, Kamwenge, Hoima, Mbarara, Wakiso, Mpigi, Mubende, Kiboga, and Luwero. In half of the areas, NERICA was newly introduced in 2004. Each area covers about three LC1s.
- 2.
To control for over-sampling of the NERICA households, we calculated the sampling weights from the information collected during the NERICA survey. These weights are used to compute the descriptive statistics and to conduct the regression analyses, where the sampling weight for the NERICA households in area i is calculated by the ratio of the total number of NERICA growing households in area i over the number of sampled NERICA households in that area, and a similar scheme is applied for non-NERICA households.
- 3.
The adoption rate in the sample area is calculated by dividing the number of NERICA adopters by the total number of households in the sample area. We obtained the names of all the NERICA adopted households in our sample areas to draw a stratified random sampling.
- 4.
How income was calculated is explained in Kijima et al. (2008).
- 5.
Even if we use land per adult equivalent measures instead of land size per person, we find a similar relationship between land scarcity and income ranks. This relationship is also observed in the RePEAT survey where the average land size per adult equivalent among poor households is 0.9 ha while that among nonpoor households is 1.8 ha.
- 6.
This is confirmed by recent study on NERICA adoption in Uganda (Kijima et al. 2010).
- 7.
The results of the Heckman model are obtained from Appendix Table 1 of Kijima et al. (2007).
- 8.
If there are many plots in the NERICA parcel, we selected the maize plot. If there is no maize plot, then we picked the legume plot. If there is neither a maize nor a legume plot, we selected a roots/tuber crop plot.
- 9.
In our analyses, the prices are assumed to be constant. Given that rice is imported in Uganda, the domestic price is essentially determined by the international price. Because of this, we think that setting the rice price constant for the simulation is not an unrealistic assumption, even when rice production increases as NERICA becomes widely adopted in Uganda.
- 10.
References
Africa Rice Center (WARDA)/FAO/SAA (2008) NERICA: the New Rice for Africa – a Compendium. In: Somado EA, Guei RG, Keya SO (eds) Cotonou, Africa Rice Center (WARDA); FAO, Rome; Sasakawa Africa Association, Tokyo
Agboh-Noameshie AR, Kinkingninhoun-Medagbe FM, Diagne A (2007) Gendered impact of NERICA adoption on farmers’ production and income in Central Benin. Paper presented at the 2nd Conference of the African Association of Agricultural Economists, Accra, Ghana, 18–22 Aug 2007
Besley T, Case A (1994) Diffusion as a learning process: evidence from HYV cotton. Working paper, Department of Economics, Princeton University, Princeton
Conley T, Udry C (2001) Social learning through networks: the adoption of new agricultural technologies in Ghana. Am J Agric Econ 83:668–673
Dalton TJ (2004) A household hedonic model of rice traits: economic values from farmers in West Africa. Agric Econ 31:149–195
David CC, Otsuka K (eds) (1994) Modern rice technology and income distribution in Asia. Lynne Rienner, Boulder
Deininger K, Odiki J (2001) Rural households: incomes, productivity, and non-farm enterprises. In: Reinikka R, Collier P (eds) Uganda’s recovery: the role of farms, firms, and government. The World Bank, Washington, DC
Diagne A (2006a) The diffusion and adoption of NERICA rice varieties in cote d’Ivoire. Dev Econ 44:208–231
Diagne A (2006b) Taking a new look at empirical models of adoption: average treatment effect estimation of adoption rates and their determinants. Paper presented at the 26th conference of the international association of agricultural economists, Gold Coast, 12–18 Aug 2006,
Diagne A (2009). Technological change in smallholder agriculture: bridging the adoption gap by understanding its source. CEGA Working Paper No. AfD-0905, Center of Evaluation for Global Action, University of California, Berkeley
Diagne A, Sogbossi M, Diawara S, Diallo A, Barry A (2007) Evaluation de la Diffusion et de L’Adoption des Variétés de Riz NERICA en Guinée. Paper presented at the 2nd conference of the African association of agricultural economists, Accra, Ghana, 18–22 Aug 2007,
Estudillo J, Otsuka K (1999) Green revolution, human capital, and off-farm employment: changing sources of income among farm households in Central Luzon, 1966–1994. Econ Dev Cult Change 47:497–523
Feder G, Just RE, Zilberman D (1985) Adoption of agricultural innovations in developing countries: a survey. Econ Dev Cult Change 33:255–298
Foster AD, Rosenzweig MR (1995) Learning by doing and learning from others: human capital and technical change in agriculture. J Polit Econ 103:1176–1209
Hayami Y, Ruttan V (1985) Agricultural development: an international perspective. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore
Heckman J, Ichimura H, Smith J, Todd P (1998) Characterizing selection bias using experimental data. Econometrica 66:1017–1099
Jones M, Dingkuhn M, Johnson DE, Fagade SO (1997) Interspecific hybridization: progress and prospect. Proceedings of the workshop: Africa/Asia Joint Research, Interspecific Hybridization between African and Asian Rice Species, Oryza Glaberrima and Oryza Sativa, WARDA, Bouake
Kijima Y, Sserunkuuma D (2011) The adoption of NERICA rice varieties at the initial stage of the diffusion process in Uganda. East African J Rural Dev (Forthcoming)
Kijima Y, Sserunkuuma D, Otsuka K (2006) How revolutionary is the NERICA revolution? Evidence from Uganda. Dev Econ 44:232–251
Kijima Y, Otsuka K, Sserunkuuma D (2007) Assessing the impact of NERICA on income and poverty in Central and Western Uganda. FASID Discussion Paper 2007-10-001, Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development, Tokyo
Kijima Y, Otsuka K, Sserunkuuma D (2008) Assessing the impact of NERICA on income and poverty in Central and Western Uganda. Agric Econ 38:327–337
Kijima Y, Otsuka K, Sserunkuuma D (2011) An inquiry into constraints on a green revolution in Sub-Saharan Africa. World Dev 39(1):77–86
Little P, Stone P, Mogues T, Castro P, Negatu W (2006) Moving in place: drought and poverty dynamics in South Wollo. Ethiopia J Dev Stud 42:200–225
Munshi K (2004) Social learning in a heterogeneous population: technology diffusion in the Indian green revolution. J Dev Econ 73:185–213
NEPAD (2004) Implementing the comprehensive Africa agricultural development programme and restoring food security in Africa. Retrieved July 2006 from http://www.sarpn.org.za/nepad_1.php?id=48
Otsuka K, Kalirajan K (2005) An exploration of a green revolution in Sub-Sahara Africa. J Agric Dev Econ 2:1–6
Otsuka K, Kalirajan K (2006) Rice green revolution in Asia and its transferability in Africa. Dev Econ 44:107–122
Pender J, Ssewanyana S, Edward K, Nkonya E (2004) Linkages between poverty and land management in rural Uganda: evidence from the Uganda national household survey, 1999/2000. Environment and Production Technology Division Discussion Paper No. 122, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, DC
Peters P (2006) Rural income and poverty in time of radical change in Malawi. J Dev Stud 42:226–247
Ravallion M (2005) Evaluating anti-poverty programs. World Bank Working Paper 3625, Washington, DC
Sachs J (2005) The end of poverty: economic possibilities for our time. Penguin Press, New York
Sahn D, Stifel D (2003) Progress toward the millennium development goals in Africa. World Dev 31:23–52
Schultz TW (1964) Transforming traditional agriculture. Yale University Press, New Haven
Schultz TW (1975) The value of the ability to deal with disequilibria. J Econ Lit 13:827–846
Schultz TW (1979) The economics of being poor. J Polit Econ 88:639–651
UBOS (2005) Consumer price index August 2005. Press Release. Uganda Bureau of Statistics
Whitehead A (2006) Persistent poverty in Northeast Ghana. J Dev Stud 42:278–300
Yamano T, Sserunkuuma D, Otsuka K, Omiat G, Ainembabazi JH, Shimamura Y (2004) The 2003 REPEAT survey in Uganda: results. FASID Development Database 2004-09-01, Foundation for Advanced Studies on International Development, Tokyo
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kijima, Y., Otsuka, K., Sserunkuuma, D. (2011). Technology, Soil Fertility, and Poverty: The Case of NERICA Rice in Uganda. In: Yamano, T., Otsuka, K., Place, F. (eds) Emerging Development of Agriculture in East Africa. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1201-0_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1201-0_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-1200-3
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-1201-0
eBook Packages: Business and EconomicsEconomics and Finance (R0)