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Is fertilizer use really suboptimnal in sub-Saharan Africa? The case of rice in Nigeria

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  • Liverpool-Tasie, Lenis

Abstract

This article revisits a conventional wisdom that inorganic fertilizer use across sub Saharan Africa is too low. This assumes that it is profitable to use rates higher than observed. The paper exploits the political economy of fertilizer access in Nigeria to obtain consistent estimates of the effects of applied nitrogen on rice production. We find the yield response to applied nitrogen to be marginal in the main rice growing farming system. Farmer behavior is not inconsistent with profitability which is limited by a low yield response to fertilizer, high transportation costs and low selling prices for rice in rural areas.

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  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:iaae15:212053
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.212053
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    1. 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.

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