Extension, fertilizer use, and agricultural productivity in Agricultural Growth

Program (AGP) woredas

ETHIOPIAN DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH INSTITUTE

Extension - Introduction

• Ethiopia one of few African countries that heavily invested in agriculture in recent years

• Some of these investments have focused on the provision of advisory and training services

• Over the last two decades, Ethiopia’s extension system has gone through a number of experimentations

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Introduction • Public extension structure: from federal ministry to

regions to kebeles through frontline extension agents (Development Agents)

• Each woreda required to identify priority market oriented commodity production and detailed projection of input requirements

• Delivery-wise, changed from largely top-down to significant ownership by the regions and woredas.

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Introduction

• Launch of ambitious plan: assure extension service in each of the 15,000 kebeles in the country

• The plan envisaged: 1/ the establishment of Farmer Training Center (FTCs) in each kebele and 2/ the deployment of three Development Agents (DAs) in each kebele

• Purpose of our analysis is to better understand functioning of this system based on recent collected data

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Data on extension agents

• Data collected by Ethiopian Economics Association (EEA) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) in 2009.

• The surveys were conducted in eight selected woredas in seven regions: Afar, Amhara, Beneshangul-Gumuz, Gambella, Oromia, SNNP, and Tigray

• Kebele-level surveys: Done in all kebeles of each selected woredas; a total of 156 kebeles; the DAs interviewed in all these kebeles

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Results

• DAs’ profile and capacity

Variables Values Age 28.4Experience 2.4Female % 17.4Technical/vocational training (10+3) 64.2Any need for additional training (%) 99.1

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Results • What are responsibilities of DAs’? – DAs have a large number of tasks (on top of agricultural

extension): 1/ Advice farmers; 2/ Distribute inputs (fertilizer, improved seeds, etc.); 3/ Mobilize farmers for public works; 4/ Take care of community resources; 5/ Give training; 6/ Receive training; 7/ Attend meetings; 8/ Prepare reports; 9/ Supervise road construction, 10/ Collect data, etc.

– A DA serves 554 households on average [a very good ratio compared to other countries]

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Results

• DAs spend most of their time on activities in the field

Activities % Field 64 Office 18 Training not on field 14 Receiving training 3 Others 1

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Results • Resources at the disposal of DAs: – Limited transport means: 98% of them mentioned that

they go by foot to visit farmers; Only 2 % of them have access to a bicycle or motorbike

– Other resources: often only reporting material, leaflets, and package booklets; however, these resources are reported to not be available for around half (50%) of the DAs.

• One caveat of these results: Survey was done almost five years ago and situation might have changed in the meanwhile

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Extension effects as assessed by farmers

• Data: AGP household surveys • Conducted in 4 high potential highland regions of

Ethiopia in 2010 and 2012• The survey covers 93 woredas; 61 AGP and 32 high

potential non-AGP woredas• Both household and community level questionnaires

were administered • A total of 7,930 households were interviewed; a

slightly lower number in 2012

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Results (2010 and 2012) 2010 2012

Gov’t extension or DA office exist in the kebele

83% 89%

If office outside the PA, what is the distance to the closest office from the PA center

12km 9km

In the past 2 years, how did access to extension services change:

Improved 76% 77%Stayed equal 15% 17%Deteriorated 9% 6%

Average number of DAs in the kebele 2.8 2.8

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Results (2010 and 2012) Extension agents’ visits 2010 2012Household was visited at least once in the year 36% 47%If visited, what kind of advice was given:New inputs 35% 39%New methods 34% 18%New crops 6% 7%Fertilizer 13% 20%Improved seed 7% 10%Credit 1% 2%Others 5% 5%If not visited, most important reason? Not enough extension agents 29% 27%

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Fertilizer use - Introduction

• Urea and DAP are the common type of fertilizers being distributed

• The distribution almost exclusively goes through cooperative unions and primary cooperatives

• The distribution system has faced several challenges ranging from logistics to pricing of fertilizer; we compare assessment of farmers in AGP woredas in 2010 and 2012

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Results

• A slight improvement in chemical fertilizer use in the last five years is seen

Number of years that chemical fertilizers were used in the last five years 2010 2012

0 37.2 36.91 7.3 5.92 4.8 4.43 4.6 4.34 4.8 2.55 41.3 45.9

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Fertilizer use; Results• Access to fertilizer

• A HH is considered as having access if; • Fertilizer was available in the PA on time and the HH mentions that

either DAP or UREA were available on time or choose (code 3 or 5 above) from list of problems or the HH gets fertilizer from out side the village

Variables 2010 2012Fertilizer was available in the PA on time 76% 87%Problems with fertilizer supply system

1. Shortage of supply 20.61 12.072. Late arrival 12.05 5.33. High price 35.9 43.71

4. Lack of credit 14.81 17.475. No problem 12.47 17.77

6. Others 4.17 3.69

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Results• In 2010 meher season, 74% of the farmers had

access to fertilizer; 55 % [56% in 2012]used fertilizer; Fertilizer users cover 72% of their cultivated area

• 37% of the total cultivated AGP area fertilized • Complementarity of fertilizer use with improved seed

and water– Almost all (95%) of improved seed users (21%)

have used fertilizer– Only 4% of the farmers using irrigation; rain the

main source; close to 85% of fertilizer users have got enough water either through rain or irrigation

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Results• Estimate the effect of different explanatory

variables on fertilizer demand (double-hurdle regression; conditional on access)

• Profitability of fertilizer is one of the most important variables affecting fertilizer demand

• Other variables of importance: Rainfall expectation; Experience with using fertilizer; Extension advice; Access to media/information (ownership of radio and TV); Ownership of transport animals

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Productivity - results• Plots with fertilizer have larger output per hectare. • The figures below are results of simple t-test of yield between

plots with fertilizer and without by crop

• Farmers who were visited by extension agents at least once in last year are 16% more productive than those who were not visited (through simple t-test; more detailed analysis planned)

Plots with fertilizer produce moreCrop %Teff 31Barely 58Wheat 51Maize 70

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Conclusions • Significant changes in high-potential agricultural (AGP)

areas• Supply system of agricultural inputs and service delivery

improving over time: More access to extension agents and an improved fertilizer supply chain

• However, demand issues still an issue: farmers complain about profitability of fertilizer use (“high price”) and lack of credit for purchase of modern inputs

• This apparently explains only small improvement of uptake of modern inputs over time

Extension Fertilizer Use Productivity Conclusions Introduction

Thank you

ETHIOPIAN DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH INSTITUTE