COVID-19 Concerns and Resources Allocation on Smallholder Rice Farms in Cote D’ivoire

Abstract

Covid-19 has caused a great deal of concern among the population, particularly in rural areas. Smallholder farmers have reacted in various ways to these concerns and to the psychological stress associated with the spread of the virus. This study analyzes the correlation between producers’ concerns about COVID-19 and productive resource allocation decisions on smallholder rice farms in Côte d’Ivoire. Using cross-sectional data obtained from 1359 households in the Poro, Tchologo and Tonkpi regions through a stratified random sampling technique where each village was considered a stratum, the study uses descriptive statistics, chi-2 tests and Pearson correlation tests to achieve the objectives. The results indicate that producers’ concerns are related to family, travel, finances and product availability. These concerns vary from region to region. In addition, the results indicate that concerns about COVID-19 led producers to reduce inputs used on the plots and to increase labor for cultivation activities. The study makes several recommendations, including the psychological consideration of small-scale producers in rural areas and the effective subsidization of inputs during health crises to avoid food insecurity problems.