Peasant farmer behavior and cereal technologies: stochastic programming analysis in Niger

Adesina, A A and Sanders , J H (1991) Peasant farmer behavior and cereal technologies: stochastic programming analysis in Niger. Agricultural Economics, 5 (1). pp. 21-38. ISSN 1574-0862

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Abstract

Peasant farmers in Sahelian West Africa adjust to rainfall uncertainties in the agricultural season by making decisions sequentially as a function of the evolving rainfall patterns. Understanding such flexibilities in farmer decision-making is central to technology introduction. This paper determines how sequential decision making under weather uncertainty affects the adoption and farm-level effects of cereal technologies in Niger. The study also draws policy implications for a price floor to arrest the substantial fall in cereal prices in good rainfall years when farmers have more grains to sell. The methodology used is discrete stochastic programming. The paper shows that the ability of peasant farmers to adapt cropping and resource management strategies to the rainfall patterns is the basis for their survival in this high-risk environment. Model results show that by (a) carrying a portfolio mix of varieties of varying maturities, and (b) making sequential decisions based upon rainfall expectations, farmers can adapt to the production uncertainties. Breeding programmes should therefore be diversified to develop not only early-maturing cultivars, but also improved intermediate and long-season varieties

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	UNSPECIFIED
CRP:	UNSPECIFIED
Subjects:	Others > Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, Economics
Depositing User:	Mr T L Gautham
Date Deposited:	12 Mar 2014 05:21
Last Modified:	12 Mar 2014 05:21
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/7597
Official URL:	http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0...
Projects:	UNSPECIFIED
Funders:	UNSPECIFIED
Acknowledgement:	UNSPECIFIED
Links:	Google Scholar

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