University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Maize response to fertilizer and fertilizer-use decisions for farmers in Ghana

Hill, Alexandra

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Alexandra_Hill.pdf

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/50536

Description

Title
Maize response to fertilizer and fertilizer-use decisions for farmers in Ghana
Author(s)
Hill, Alexandra
Issue Date
2014-09-16
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Kirwan, Barrett E.
Department of Study
Agr & Consumer Economics
Discipline
Agricultural & Applied Econ
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Date of Ingest
2014-09-16T17:23:35Z
Keyword(s)
  • fertilizer
  • fertilizer profitability
  • maize
  • maize responsiveness to fertilizer
  • Ghana
  • fertilizer use on maize fields for farmers in Ghana
  • subsidy
  • analyzing the effects of a fertilizer subsidy on maize profitability
Abstract
Current maize yields in Ghana average only one-third of their estimated potential, but this yield gap can be reduced by improving farming practices and growing conditions in Ghana; specifically, yields in Ghana can likely be increased by intensifying the use of fertilizer, other inputs, and irrigation systems. Recently, Ghana introduced a fertilizer subsidy program to help increase fertilizer-use rates, however, little work has been done to examine the effectiveness of this program, or to determine the viability of using fertilizer to increase yields in Ghana. This paper (1) determines the marginal effects of inorganic fertilizer on maize output using OLS and quantile regressions, (2) determines the profitability of fertilizer at the subsidized and unsubsidized prices using the value-cost ratio, and (3) examines alternate instruments for increasing fertilizer use using a linear probability model. I find that fertilizer use has a positive and significant effect on maize yields in all models that I consider; despite this positive correlation, however, I find that fertilizer is not sufficiently profitable for the average Ghanaian farmer to incentivize additional application. Finally, I find that the farmer’s distance from the closest weekly market, whether the farmer has a pre-harvest contract, and whether the farmer has property rights on the field have significant correlations with fertilizer use.
Graduation Semester
2014-08
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/50536
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2014 Alexandra Hill

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Graduate Dissertations and Theses at Illinois PRIMARY
Graduate Theses and Dissertations at Illinois
Theses - Agricultural and Consumer Economics