Heterogeneous returns to chemical fertilizer at the intensive margins: Insights from Nepal

Takeshima, Hiroyuki; Adhikari, Rajendra Prasad; Shivakoti, Sabnam; Kaphle, Basu Dev; Kumar, Anjani

doi:10.1016/j.foodpol.2017.03.007

Cited by 49 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…For example, the proportion of farmland cultivated by tractors in Africa south of the Sahara is only 10 per cent, compared to 35 per cent in South Asia and 50 per cent in Latin America (Benin 2015). A study by Takeshima et al (2017) also reveals that <8 per cent of the farms in Nepal have used mechanised tillage in hills and mountains. Kienzle et al (2013) reviewed patterns and progress of agricultural mechanisation for rural development around the world and concluded that without farm machines, farmers would struggle to emerge from subsistence production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Farm machinery use and maize yields in China: an analysis accounting for selection bias and heterogeneity

Zhou

et al. 2020

Aus J Agri & Res Econ

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Crop production in developing and emerging countries is increasingly dependent on the usage of farm machinery. However, it remains unclear whether low-productive and high-productive farmers benefit equally from farm machinery use. To address the research gap, this study examines the potential heterogeneous effects of farm machinery use on maize yields, using an unconditional quantile regression model and survey data from China. We employ a control function approach to address the selection bias issue associated with farm machinery use. The empirical results show that the use of farm machinery significant increases maize yields for all the selected quantiles (except for the 80th quantile); the low-productive farmers tend to benefit more from farm machinery use relative to their high-productive counterparts; and farm machinery use reduces the inequality and variability of maize yields.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Farm machinery use and maize yields in China: an analysis accounting for selection bias and heterogeneity

Zhou

et al. 2020

Aus J Agri & Res Econ

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“…Available upon request.18 Data on rainfall and elevation was shared byTakeshima et al (2017). We measure population density by calculating the area of each VDC using ArcGIS software and use population data from the 2011 census.19 One question is whether staffing shortages are particularly acute in districts where the outside option of working in agriculture is higher-i.e., in districts with better agricultural conditions.…”

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confidence: 99%

Delivering More with Less: Subnational Service Provision in Low Capacity States

Kyle

Resnick

2018

St Comp Int Dev

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In developing countries, low state capacity frequently is blamed for poor and uneven service delivery. Yet, since state capacity manifests unevenly across space and sectors, identifying which elements of capacity are more likely to enhance service delivery is not straightforward. We examine how subnational variation in capacity affects access to agricultural extension in rural Nepal. We explore six dimensions of state capacity using original household survey data and interviews with local bureaucrats. We find that local knowledge and motivation of bureaucrats play a significant role in shaping service access. By contrast, traditional capacity indicators-including resources, professionalization, and autonomy-matter surprisingly little. These findings suggest that bureaucrats working with fewer but more motivated staff who spend more time in a district are more likely to facilitate citizens' access to agricultural extension. Placebo tests add confidence that relationships are not driven by unobservables. Scholarship on state capacity traditionally has been unable to measure capacity disaggregated by geography and sector, and, as a result, has struggled to link empirically different elements of capacity with service delivery. This paper begins to address this gap and in doing so, offers broader implications for the dynamics of rural development.

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“…Socioeconomic factors include prices of key inputs including land, labor and chemical fertilizer, the commonality of irrigation adoptions from both canals and natural water bodies within the VDC, as well as household-level manure endowments which often substitute for chemical fertilizer (Takeshima et al 2017). Euclidean distance to ARS is also included to account for the spatial diffusions of technologies or knowledge developed by ARS.…”

Section: Other Explanatory Variablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Distance to the nearest river is based on the information about major rivers by Lehner et al (2006). Manure endowments are from Takeshima et al (2017). Historical monthly rainfall data between 1970 and 2000 are originally obtained in 0.5-by-0.5-degree grids (http://csi.cgiar.org/cru/SELECTION/inputCoord.asp), which are converted to VDC-level data by identifying which grid each VDC belongs to and applying the values in the grid to the VDC.…”

Section: Expected Signs Ofmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changing returns-to-scale and deepening of factor-endowments-induced specialization: Exploring broader linkage between agricultural mechanization and agricultural transformation in Nepal

Takeshima

Kumar

2020

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in 1975, provides research-based policy solutions to sustainably reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition. IFPRI's strategic research aims to foster a climate-resilient and sustainable food supply; promote healthy diets and nutrition for all; build inclusive and efficient markets, trade systems, and food industries; transform agricultural and rural economies; and strengthen institutions and governance. Gender is integrated in all the Institute's work. Partnerships, communications, capacity strengthening, and data and knowledge management are essential components to translate IFPRI's research from action to impact. The Institute's regional and country programs play a critical role in responding to demand for food policy research and in delivering holistic support for country-led development. IFPRI collaborates with partners around the world.

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Heterogeneous returns to chemical fertilizer at the intensive margins: Insights from Nepal

Cited by 49 publications

References 39 publications

Farm machinery use and maize yields in China: an analysis accounting for selection bias and heterogeneity

Farm machinery use and maize yields in China: an analysis accounting for selection bias and heterogeneity

Delivering More with Less: Subnational Service Provision in Low Capacity States

Changing returns-to-scale and deepening of factor-endowments-induced specialization: Exploring broader linkage between agricultural mechanization and agricultural transformation in Nepal

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