Fertilizer Microdosing and “Warrantage” or Inventory Credit System to Improve Food Security and Farmers’ Income in West Africa

Abstract

The fertilizer microdosing technology deals with the application of small quantities of fertilizers in the planting hole, thereby increasing fertilizer use efficiency and yields while minimizing input costs. In drought years, microdosing also performs well, because larger root systems are more efficient at finding water, and it hastens crop maturity, avoiding lateseason drought. Recent research found that solving the soil fertility problem unleashes the yield potential of improved millet varieties, generating an additional grain yield of nearly the same quantity. Recognizing that liquidity constraints often prevent farmers from intensifying their production system, the warrantage or inventory credit system helps to remove barriers to the adoption of soil fertility restoration. Using a participatory approach through a network of partners from the National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES), non-governmental organizations (NGOs), farmers and farmer groups and other international agricultural research centres, the microdosing technology and the warrantage system have been demonstrated and promoted in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger during the past few years with encouraging results. Sorghum and millet yields increased by up to 120%, and farmers' incomes went up by 130% when microdosing was combined with the warrantage system. This chapter highlights the outstanding past results and the ongoing efforts to further scale up the technology using Farmer field schools (FFS) and demonstrations, capacity and

Use of a warrantage system to face rural poverty and hunger in the semi-arid area of Burkina Faso

“…The warrantage system appears therefore as a community-based micro credit scheme which is affordable to poor small scale households (Adamu and Chianu, 2011;Tabo et al, 2011, Sogodogo et al, 2014. Among other sources of funds, it is the most considered by famers (Poulton et al, 2006;Adesina, 2009;Zoundi and Hitimana, 2011), and more suited to the socio-economic conditions of poor farmers.…”

“…Daoudi and Wampfler (2010), Beaman et al (2014), Banerjee et al (2015) and Crépon et al (2015) showed that the agricultural credit promoted the adoption of innovations. This micro-credit strongly influences the attendance to inputs shops and therefore enables farmers to acquire fertilizer and other agricultural inputs (Buerkert et al, 2001;Tabo et al, 2011, Sogodogo et al, 2014.…”

“…To address the complex issue of facilitating credit to poor households, the international research institutions in collaboration with some West Africa NARS and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) developed a community-based micro credit approach known as Warrantage or inventory credit system (ICRISAT, 2001;Tabo et al, 2011;Adamu and Chianu, 2011;Sogodogo et al, 2014). The organizations of farmer in partnership with a lending agency (micro financial institution, NGO, etc.)…”

“…Then, in agreement with the lending institution, farmers sell the stored grains at higher prices, 4-5 months after harvest, when the market supply begins to decline. Through this arrangement, they are able to earn substantial benefit that allow them to pay back their loans with interest (Adamu and Chianu, 2011;Tabo et al, 2011).…”

“…It has been recently introduced in Benin (INERA et al, 2014). The accessibility to agricultural inputs, and the adoption of technological innovations could increase rain-fed crop production and household livelihoods; this rain-fed crop production could be also reinforced by the warrantage system (Adamu and Chianu, 2011;Tabo et al, 2011).…”