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Do the Poor Pay More for Maize in Malawi?

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  • Richard Mussa

Abstract

The paper uses data from the Third Integrated Household Survey to examine whether or not the poor pay more for maize in Malawi. The paper finds that the poor in rural and urban areas pay more for maize. It is found that the poor pay more for maize irrespective of when the maize is purchased. Thus, seasonality does not seem to be behind the observed poverty penalty. The paper finds that the poverty penalty varies with seasonality; it is significantly more pronounced in the post‐harvest period when maize is in abundance, it is, however, reduced in the lean season. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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  • Richard Mussa, 2015. "Do the Poor Pay More for Maize in Malawi?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 27(4), pages 546-563, 05-27.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:27:y:2015:i:4:p:546-563
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    Cited by:

    1. Brian Dillon & Joachim De Weerdt & Ted O’Donoghue, 2021. "Paying More for Less: Why Don’t Households in Tanzania Take Advantage of Bulk Discounts?," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 35(1), pages 148-179.
    2. Stefan Öberg, 2016. "Did the Poor Pay More? Income-related variations in Diet and Food Quality among Urban Households in Sweden 1913-1914," Rivista di storia economica, Società editrice il Mulino, issue 2, pages 211-248.
    3. repec:lic:licosd:39617 is not listed on IDEAS
    4. UNDP Regional Bureau for Africa & Bruno Martorano & Giovanni Andrea Cornia, "undated". "The Dynamics of Income Inequality in a Dualistic Economy: Malawi over 1990-2011," UNDP Africa Policy Notes 2017-13, United Nations Development Programme, Regional Bureau for Africa.
    5. Christine M. Sauer & Thomas Reardon & Nicole M. Mason, 2023. "The poor do not pay more: Evidence from Tanzanian consumer food expenditures controlling for the food environment," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 54(5), pages 638-661, September.
    6. Mussa, Richard, 2017. "Long-term Effects of Early Life Maize Yield on Maize Productivity and Efficiency in Rural Malawi," MPRA Paper 75975, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Cornia, Giovanni Andrea & Martorano, Bruno, 2017. "Income Inequality Trends in sub-Saharan Africa: Divergence, determinants and consequences: The Dynamics of Income Inequality in a Dualistic Economy: Malawi over 1990-2011," UNDP Africa Reports 267648, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
    8. Giovanni Andrea Cornia & Bruno Martorano, "undated". "The dynamics of income inequality in a dualistic economy – Malawi," UNDP Africa Policy Notes 2017-01, United Nations Development Programme, Regional Bureau for Africa.
    9. repec:rac:ecchap:2017-13 is not listed on IDEAS

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    JEL classification:

    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior

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