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Fertilizer subsidies, political influence and local food prices in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Nigeria

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  • Takeshima, Hiroyuki
  • Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O.

Abstract

The last decade has seen a resurgence in the use of fertilizer subsidies in sub-Saharan Africa. However, there is limited empirical evidence on the effects of fertilizer subsidy programs on local food prices. Using an instrumental variables approach, we explore the effect of a fertilizer subsidy program on the seasonal growth rates of grain prices in Nigeria. Our results suggest that the fertilizer subsidy program had very small effects on the growth rates of grain prices between the post-planting and post-harvesting seasons. We also find that political influence played a role in the distribution of subsidized fertilizer. We discuss how the weak effects on the price growth rates may be caused by low market orientation, output market structures, greater focus on farmers’ incomes, low marginal productivity of fertilizer, and politically influenced targeting.

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  • Takeshima, Hiroyuki & Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O., 2015. "Fertilizer subsidies, political influence and local food prices in sub-Saharan Africa: Evidence from Nigeria," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 11-24.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:54:y:2015:i:c:p:11-24
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2015.04.003
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    2. Jayne, T.S. & Mason, Nicole M. & Burke, William J. & Ariga, Joshua, 2016. "Agricultural Input Subsidy Programs in Africa: An Assessment of Recent Evidence," Food Security International Development Working Papers 245892, Michigan State University, Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics.
    3. Takeshima, Hiroyuki & Adhikari, Rajendra Prasad & Shivakoti, Sabnam & Kaphle, Basu Dev & Kumar, Anjani, 2017. "Heterogeneous returns to chemical fertilizer at the intensive margins: Insights from Nepal," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 97-109.
    4. Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O. & Ogunleye,Wale Olatunji & Omonona,Bolarin Titus & Sanou,Awa & Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O. & Ogunleye,Wale Olatunji & Omonona,Bolarin Titus & Sanou,Awa, 2015. "Is increasing inorganic fertilizer use in Sub-Saharan Africa a profitable proposition ? evidence from Nigeria," Policy Research Working Paper Series 7201, The World Bank.
    5. Mogues, Tewodaj & Erman, Alvina, 2016. "Institutional arrangements to make public spending responsive to the poor—(where) have they worked?: Review of the evidence on four major intervention types," IFPRI discussion papers 1519, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    6. Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool-Tasie, 2017. "Is fertiliser use inconsistent with expected profit maximization in sub-Saharan Africa? “Evidence from Nigeria”," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(1), pages 22-44, February.
    7. Liverpool-Tasie, Saweda & Nuhu, Ahmed Salim & Awokuse, Titus O. & Jayne, Thomas S. & Muyanga, Milu & Aromolaran, Adebayo & Adelaja, Adesoji, 2020. "Spillover effects of Medium-Scale Farms on Smallholder Behavior and Welfare: Evidence from Nigeria," 2020 Annual Meeting, July 26-28, Kansas City, Missouri 304606, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    8. Dzanku, Fred Mawunyo, 2018. "The gender and geography of rural off-farm employment and input intensification in five sub-Saharan African countries," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 37-51.
    9. Jayne, Thomas S. & Mason, Nicole M. & Burke, William J. & Ariga, Joshua, 2018. "Review: Taking stock of Africa’s second-generation agricultural input subsidy programs," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 1-14.
    10. Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis Saweda O. & Omonona, Bolarin T. & Sanou, Awa & Ogunleye, Wale O., 2017. "Is increasing inorganic fertilizer use for maize production in SSA a profitable proposition? Evidence from Nigeria," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C), pages 41-51.
    11. Joseph I. Uduji & Elda N. Okolo-Obasi, 2017. "Multinational Oil Firms’ CSR Initiatives in Nigeria: the Need of Rural Farmers in Host Communities," Research Africa Network Working Papers 17/062, Research Africa Network (RAN).
    12. Lenis Saweda O. Liverpool‐Tasie & Ahmed Salim Nuhu & Titus Awokuse & Thomas Jayne & Milu Muyanga & Adebayo Aromolaran & Adesoji Adelaja, 2023. "Can medium‐scale farms support smallholder commercialisation and improve welfare? Evidence from Nigeria," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(1), pages 48-74, February.
    13. Sha Feng & Dandan Fu & Xinru Han & Xiudong Wang, 2022. "Impacts of the Extension of Cassava Soil Conservation and Efficient Technology on the Reduction of Chemical Fertilizer Input in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-13, November.
    14. Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis, 2015. "Is fertilizer use really suboptimnal in sub-Saharan Africa? The case of rice in Nigeria," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 212053, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    15. Sibande, Lonester & Bailey, Alastair & Davidova, Sophia, 2015. "The impact of farm input subsidies on household welfare in Malawi," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 212830, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    16. Apata Temidayo Gabriel, 2019. "Public spending mechanisms and gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the agricultural sector (1970–2016): Lessons for Nigeria from agricultural policy progressions in China," Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, Sciendo, vol. 44(44), pages 57-72, June.
    17. Sibande, Lonester & Bailey, Alastair & Davidova, Sophia, 2017. "The impact of farm input subsidies on maize marketing in Malawi," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 190-206.
    18. Apata, Temidayo, 2021. "Effect of public spending on agricultural productivity in Nigeria (1981-2018)," Revista Galega de Economía, University of Santiago de Compostela. Faculty of Economics and Business., vol. 30(2), pages 1-21.
    19. Harun Uçak & Yakup Ari & Esin Yelgen, 2022. "The volatility connectedness among fertilisers and agricultural crop prices: Evidence from selected main agricultural products," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 68(9), pages 348-360.
    20. Marcia F. Kwaramba & Srinivas Sridharan & Felix T. Mavondo, 2023. "Drivers and outcomes of smallholder market participation in Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 51(5), pages 1165-1183, September.
    21. Lahmiri, Salim, 2017. "Asymmetric and persistent responses in price volatility of fertilizers through stable and unstable periods," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 466(C), pages 405-414.
    22. Takeshima, Hiroyuki & Adhikari, Rajendra Prasad & Kaphle, Basu Dev & Shivakoti, Sabnam & Kumar, Anjani, 2016. "Determinants of chemical fertilizer use in Nepal: Insights based on price responsiveness and income effects:," IFPRI discussion papers 1507, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    23. Takeshima, Hiroyuki, 2015. "Identifying the effects of market imperfections for a scale biased agricultural technology: Tractors in Nigeria," 2015 Conference, August 9-14, 2015, Milan, Italy 211937, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    24. Amolegbe, Khadijat B. & Upton, Joanna & Bageant, Elizabeth & Blom, Sylvia, 2021. "Food price volatility and household food security: Evidence from Nigeria," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    25. Lahmiri, Salim, 2017. "Cointegration and causal linkages in fertilizer markets across different regimes," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 471(C), pages 181-189.

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