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Do Beliefs About Herbicide Quality Correspond with Actual Quality in Local Markets? Evidence from Uganda

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  • Maha Ashour
  • Daniel Orth Gilligan
  • Jessica Blumer Hoel
  • Naureen Iqbal Karachiwalla

Abstract

Adoption of modern agricultural inputs in Africa remains low, restraining agricultural productivity and poverty reduction. Low quality agricultural inputs may in part explain low adoption rates, but only if farmers are aware that some inputs are low quality. We report the results of laboratory tests of the quality of glyphosate herbicide in Uganda and investigate whether farmers’ beliefs about the prevalence of counterfeiting and adulteration are consistent with the prevalence of low quality in their local market. We find that the average bottle in our sample is missing 15 per cent of the active ingredient and 31 per cent of samples contain less than 75 per cent of the ingredient advertised. Farmers believe 41 per cent of herbicide is counterfeit or adulterated. Beliefs are significantly correlated with quality at the local market level, but beliefs remain inaccurate, adjusting for only a fraction of actual differences in quality. Price is also significantly correlated with quality in local markets, but prices also adjust for only a fraction of quality differences. Although, like fertiliser and hybrid maize seed, herbicide in Uganda is low quality, herbicide use is substantially higher.

Suggested Citation

  • Maha Ashour & Daniel Orth Gilligan & Jessica Blumer Hoel & Naureen Iqbal Karachiwalla, 2019. "Do Beliefs About Herbicide Quality Correspond with Actual Quality in Local Markets? Evidence from Uganda," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(6), pages 1285-1306, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:jdevst:v:55:y:2019:i:6:p:1285-1306
    DOI: 10.1080/00220388.2018.1464143
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    Cited by:

    1. Barriga, Alicia & Fiala, Nathan, 2020. "The supply chain for seed in Uganda: Where does it go wrong?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 130(C).
    2. Pawera, Lukas & Manickam, Ravishankar & Wangungu, Carolyne & Bonnarith, Uon & Schreinemachers, Pepijn & Ramasamy, Srinivasan, 2024. "Guidance on farmer participation in the design, testing and scaling of agricultural innovations," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    3. Abate, Gashaw T. & Abay, Kibrom A. & Chamberlin, Jordan & Kassim, Yumna & Spielman, David J. & Paul Jr Tabe-Ojong, Martin, 2023. "Digital tools and agricultural market transformation in Africa: Why are they not at scale yet, and what will it take to get there?," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    4. Michelson, Hope & Gourlay, Sydney & Lybbert, Travis & Wollburg, Philip, 2023. "Review: Purchased agricultural input quality and small farms," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    5. Emerick, Kyle & De Janvry, Alain & Sadoulet, Elisabeth & Dar, Manzoor & Wiseman, Eleanor, 2020. "Private Input Suppliers as Information Agents for Technology Adoption in Agriculture," CEPR Discussion Papers 15584, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Nigus, Halefom Yigzaw & Nillesen, Eleonora & Mohnen, Pierre & Di Falco, Salvatore, 2023. "Markets and socially responsible behavior: do punishment and religion matter?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 572-593.
    7. De, Anusha & Miehe, Caroline & Van Campenhout, Bjorn, 2024. "Gender bias in customer perceptions: The case of agro-input dealers in Uganda," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    8. Bjorn Van Campenhout & Anusha De, 2023. "Gendered perceptions in maize supply chains: Evidence from Uganda," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 41(2), March.
    9. Wossen, Tesfamicheal & Spielman, David J. & Alene, Arega D. & Abdoulaye, Tahirou, 2024. "Estimating seed demand in the presence of market frictions: Evidence from an auction experiment in Nigeria," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    10. Steven Haggblade & Amadou Diarra & Abdramane Traoré, 2022. "Regulating agricultural intensification: Lessons from West Africa’s rapidly growing pesticide markets," Development Policy Review, Overseas Development Institute, vol. 40(1), January.
    11. Paola Mallia, 2022. "You reap what (you think) you sow? Evidence on farmers’behavioral adjustments in the case of correct crop varietal identification," PSE Working Papers hal-03597332, HAL.
    12. Kibrom A. Abay & Tesfamicheal Wossen & Jordan Chamberlin, 2023. "Mismeasurement and efficiency estimates: Evidence from smallholder survey data in Africa," Journal of Agricultural Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 74(2), pages 413-434, June.
    13. Jacopo Bonan & Harounan Kazianga & Mariapia Mendola, 2019. "Agricultural Transformation and Farmers' Expectations: Experimental Evidence from Uganda," Development Working Papers 458, Centro Studi Luca d'Agliano, University of Milano.
    14. Erwin Bulte & Robert Lensink, 2023. "Why agricultural insurance may slow down agricultural development," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 105(4), pages 1197-1220, August.
    15. Shahzad Kouser & David J Spielman & Matin Qaim, 2019. "Transgenic cotton and farmers’ health in Pakistan," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(10), pages 1-19, October.
    16. Hazem S Kassem & Bader Alhafi Alotaibi, 2020. "Do farmers perceive risks of fraudulent pesticides? Evidence from Saudi Arabia," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(9), pages 1-13, September.
    17. Cansın Arslan & Daniel Gregg & Meike Wollni, 2024. "Paying more to make less: value degrading in the coffee value chain in eastern Uganda," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 106(1), pages 96-117, January.
    18. MANO, Yukichi & ARIMOTO, Yutaka & Nguyen, Duy Can & Do, Van Hoang & KOJIN, Emi & Nguyen, Thiet & TSUKADA, Kazunari & Vo, Hong Tu, 2023. "Nutrient deficiencies and compositional variability in fertilizers : The case of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam," Discussion paper series HIAS-E-129, Hitotsubashi Institute for Advanced Study, Hitotsubashi University.
    19. Wossen, Tesfamicheal & Abay, Kibrom A. & Abdoulaye, Tahirou, 2022. "Misperceiving and misreporting input quality: Implications for input use and productivity," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).

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