Abstract
This article used a Tobit model to analyze what determines the decisions to adopt and intensify the use of chemical fertilizers in cereal production in Burkina Faso. The results show that the main factors that explain the adoption and increased use of chemical fertilizers are: agricultural potential of the area of production, ownership of a radio set, formal education of actives household members, closeness to an earth-built road, amount of credit and membership in a group of producers. The marginal effects showed that the probability of adoption of chemical fertilizers by new entrants is greater than the probability of existing producers intensifying the usage of chemical fertilizers. These results imply that the incentives for the adoption and intensification policies should primarily target producers who have not yet used chemical fertilizers. Key words: Tobit model, adoption, intensification, fertilizers, cereals.
Highlights
The liberalization of the economy in 1991 has ended input subsidy policies in Burkina Faso’s agricultural sector
Individual significance tests indicate that the agricultural potential of the area of production, possession of at least one radio set, average number of years of formal education of the workers, proximity to a land-built road, and the amount of credit and membership in an association significantly influence the decision to adopt and intensify the use of chemical fertilizers at a threshold that is lower or equal to 5% and have the expected signs
The results of the econometric analyses indicate that the estimated Tobit model is well specified and the socio-economic, demographic, institutional, and agro-ecological factors that have been identified explained significantly the adoption and intensification of the use of chemical fertilizers
Summary
The liberalization of the economy in 1991 has ended input subsidy policies in Burkina Faso’s agricultural sector. Subsidies were no more available, domestic consumption of chemical fertilizers continued to grow due to the expansion of cotton production. The rate of chemical fertilizers application increased from 12 to 40 kg/ha over the same period. Consumption of chemical fertilizers for cereal production had strongly decreased since 2006 due to the crisis in the cotton sector. This is an obstacle to the improvement of agricultural productivity, revenue increment and poverty reduction efforts of rural households.
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