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The Aggregate economic benefits of the National Cultivar Trials for Maize in South Africa with specific reference to the Highveld region

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  • Thula Dlamini
  • Frik Liebenberg

Abstract

The South African maize sector has been revolutionised from a system of production with low use of modern technologies to a leading maize producer in the African continent. That transformation is in part attributable to South Africa's investment in the national maize cultivar trials, which have facilitated the adoption and use of maize cultivars that are highly adapted to commercial farmer localities, causing considerable gains in yields. The economic value of the public investment in the trials remains unknown. This study uses experimental yields spanning 1977 - 2012 to attribute the influence of the national maize cultivar trials to maize yield improvement on farmer localities in the Highveld region of South Africa. Using attribution methods, the study estimates that 24.3 kg per hectare of extra maize yields accrued to commercial maize producers because of the national maize trials. The economic value of these investments was found to be R1.4billion (in 2012 currency values). The study estimates that South Africa received R37 of benefit for every rand invested by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) in the trials.

Suggested Citation

  • Thula Dlamini & Frik Liebenberg, 2015. "The Aggregate economic benefits of the National Cultivar Trials for Maize in South Africa with specific reference to the Highveld region," Agrekon, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(3), pages 43-61, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:ragrxx:v:54:y:2015:i:3:p:43-61
    DOI: 10.1080/03031853.2015.1085228
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Rao, Xudong & Hurley, Terrance M. & Pardey, Philip G., 2012. "Recalibrating the Reported Rates of Return to Food and Agricultural R&D," 2012 Annual Meeting, August 12-14, 2012, Seattle, Washington 124581, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    2. Morris, Michael L., 2002. "Impacts Of International Maize Breeding Research In Developing Countries, 1966-98," Impact Studies 23722, CIMMYT: International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center.
    3. Pardey, Philip G. & Alston, Julian M. & Chan-Kang, Connie, 2012. "Agricultural Production, Productivity and R&D over the Past Half Century: An Emerging New World Order," 2012 Conference, August 18-24, 2012, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil 131824, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    4. Pardey, Philip G. & Alston, Julian M. & Chan-Kang, Connie & Magalhaes, Eduardo & Vosti, Stephen A., 2004. "Assessing and attributing the benefits from varietal improvement research in Brazil," Research reports 136, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
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