This study assessed the effects of introducing a technology package consisting of seed priming and microdosing of mineral fertilizer on sorghum and pearl millet yield, cereal production, net value of cereal production, household expenditure, adoption rate of technology and household food security in the millet and sorghum producing areas in Mopti, Segou and Koulikoro regions of Mali. Three different surveys were undertaken to collect the data during the period from 2013 to 2015. The first survey assessed the farmers practices (360 households), the second survey assessed production, household expenditure and food security in the households (54 households) and the third survey assessed the adoption rates of the technologies (108 households). The surplus cereal production was in average 1155 kg/household for adopting households while non-adopting households had a surplus of only 196 kg/household. The monetary surplus increased from 31.2 Euro for non-adopting households to 215.6 Euro for adopting households. Households using the package spent 167.8 Euro on health, children's education, and other necessities while non-adopting households spent only 29.5 Euro. Furthermore, households using the package spent 55.9 Euro on fertilizer against close to zero for non-adopting households. Finally, the number of food insecure months were significantly reduced from 3.57 months for the adopting households to 1.24 months for non-adopting households. The technology package initiated positive development pathways characterized by increased production and income, surplus grain production, investments in livelihood assets and yield-enhancing technologies and improved food security. This link from technology introduction to improved food security is very important from a development perspective, but there is a lack of research that clearly demonstrate this effect in the drylands of West Africa. Future interventions to ensure a more broad-based development should focus on continued investment in yield-enhancing technologies, diversification of production to ensure better access to high quality food, strengthening the role of women, and building institutions to support farmers' livelihood and agency.
Citation: Penda Sissoko, Gry Synnevag, Jens B. Aune. Effects of low-cost agricultural technology package on income, cereal surplus production, household expenditure, and food security in the drylands of Mali[J]. AIMS Agriculture and Food, 2022, 7(1): 22-36. doi: 10.3934/agrfood.2022002
This study assessed the effects of introducing a technology package consisting of seed priming and microdosing of mineral fertilizer on sorghum and pearl millet yield, cereal production, net value of cereal production, household expenditure, adoption rate of technology and household food security in the millet and sorghum producing areas in Mopti, Segou and Koulikoro regions of Mali. Three different surveys were undertaken to collect the data during the period from 2013 to 2015. The first survey assessed the farmers practices (360 households), the second survey assessed production, household expenditure and food security in the households (54 households) and the third survey assessed the adoption rates of the technologies (108 households). The surplus cereal production was in average 1155 kg/household for adopting households while non-adopting households had a surplus of only 196 kg/household. The monetary surplus increased from 31.2 Euro for non-adopting households to 215.6 Euro for adopting households. Households using the package spent 167.8 Euro on health, children's education, and other necessities while non-adopting households spent only 29.5 Euro. Furthermore, households using the package spent 55.9 Euro on fertilizer against close to zero for non-adopting households. Finally, the number of food insecure months were significantly reduced from 3.57 months for the adopting households to 1.24 months for non-adopting households. The technology package initiated positive development pathways characterized by increased production and income, surplus grain production, investments in livelihood assets and yield-enhancing technologies and improved food security. This link from technology introduction to improved food security is very important from a development perspective, but there is a lack of research that clearly demonstrate this effect in the drylands of West Africa. Future interventions to ensure a more broad-based development should focus on continued investment in yield-enhancing technologies, diversification of production to ensure better access to high quality food, strengthening the role of women, and building institutions to support farmers' livelihood and agency.
| [1] | GSF (2014) Global Strategic Framework for Food Security & Nutrition (GSF). Third Version. Committee on World Food Security (CFS). Available from: www.unscn.org/files/cfs/GSF_Version_3_EN.pdf. |
| [2] | HLPE (2020) Food security and nutrition: building a global narrative towards 2030. A report by the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition and the Committee on World Food Security, Rome. Available from: www. fao.org/3/ca9731en/ca9731en.pdf. |
| [3] |
Giller KE (2020) The food security conundrum of sub-Saharan Africa. Glob Food Sec 26: 100431. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100431 doi: 10.1016/j.gfs.2020.100431
|
| [4] |
Hampshire K, Casiday R, Kilpatrick K, et al. (2009) The social context of childcare practices and child malnutrition in Niger's recent food crises. Disasters 33: 132–151. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7717.2008.01066.x doi: 10.1111/j.1467-7717.2008.01066.x
|
| [5] | Dufour C, Kauffmann D, Marsland N (2014) Enhancing the links between resilience and nutrition. In: Fan S, Pandya-Lorch R, Yosef S (Eds.), Resilience for Food and Nutrition Security. IFPRI, Washington, 107–117. |
| [6] |
D'Errico M, Pietrelli R (2017) Resilience and child malnutrition in Mali. Food Secur 9: 355–370. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-017-0652-8 doi: 10.1007/s12571-017-0652-8
|
| [7] | World Food Program 2021, Mali. Available from: www.wfp.org/countries/mali. |
| [8] | Dixon S, Holt J (2010) Livelihood zoning and profiling report: Mali. A special report by the Famine Early Warning System Network, USAID. Available from: https://fews.net/sites/default/files/documents/reports/ML_profile_en.pdf. |
| [9] | World Bank 2021, Population growth (annual %)—Mali. Available from: data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.GROW?locations=ML. |
| [10] | FAOstat 2021, Mali. Available from: www.fao.org/faostat/en/#country/133. |
| [11] |
Soumaré M, Traoréet S, Havard M (2020) Croissance démographique, sécurité alimentaire et accès à la santé et à l'éducation en zone cotonnière du Mali. Cahiers Agricultures 29: 40. https://doi.org/10.1051/cagri/2020036 doi: 10.1051/cagri/2020036
|
| [12] |
Aune JB, Coulibaly A, Giller KE (2017) Precision farming for increased land and labour productivity in semi-arid West Africa. A review. Agron Sustain Dev 37: 1. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-017-0424-z doi: 10.1007/s13593-017-0424-z
|
| [13] |
Coulibaly A, Woumou K, Aune, JB (2019) Sustainable intensification of sorghum and pearl millet production by seed priming, seed treatment and fertilizer microdosing under different rainfall regimes in Mali. Agronomy 9: 664. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9100664 doi: 10.3390/agronomy9100664
|
| [14] | Tabo R, Bationo A, Maimouna KD, et al. (2006) Fertilizer micro-dosing for the prosperity of small-holders farmers in the Sahel: final report. Global Theme on Agroecosystems Report No. 23. PO. Box 12404, ICRISAT, Niamey, 28. |
| [15] |
Aune JB, Bationo A (2008) Agricultural intensification in the Sahel-the ladder approach. Agr Syst 98: 119–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2008.05.002 doi: 10.1016/j.agsy.2008.05.002
|
| [16] | Sissoko P (2018) Le microdosage d'engrais : une technique d'amélioration des moyens d'existence des producteurs pauvres au Sahel. Cas des exploitations agricoles à base de mil et de sorgho au Mali. Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech-Université de Liège. Avaialble from: orbi.uliege.be/bitstream/2268/238896/4/SISSOKO%20Penda_30-8-2019.pdf. |
| [17] |
Nourou AIM, Saidou AK, Arifa W, et al. (2020) Intensification of pearl millet production in Niger through mechanized owing and weeding, seed priming, seed treatment, and microdosing. Agronomy 10: 629. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10050629 doi: 10.3390/agronomy10050629
|
| [18] | Djiga A (2015) Impact evaluation of the food crop establishment project in the sahelian and sudano-sahelian area of Mali. A report of the Dryland Coordination Group, Oslo, Norway, 24. Available from: https://www.utviklingsfondet.no/dcg/assets/documents/Impact-Evaluation-Mali-ENGLISH-Final.pdf. |
| [19] |
Cooper MW, West CT (2017) Unraveling the Sikasso Paradox: Agricultural Change and Malnutrition in Sikasso, Mali. Ecol Food Nutr 56: 101–123. https://doi.org/10.1080/03670244.2016.1263947 doi: 10.1080/03670244.2016.1263947
|
| [20] | Amponsah EK (2012) Farm households' adoption of Ecofarming integrated agricultural technologies and potential economic effects on livelihoods in Segou, Mopti and Koulikoro regions of Mali. M.Sc thesis, Norwegian university of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway, 126. Available from: amponsah_master2012.pdf. |
| [21] | Tefft JF, Penders C, Kelly V, et al. (2000) Linkages Between Agricultural Growth and Improved Child Nutrition in Mali. Working Paper No. 79, Michigan State University International Development, East Lansing, Michigan. |
| [22] | Coulibaly A, Aune JB (2020) Intensification of sorghum and pearl millet production in the Sahel-Sudanian climatic zone of Mali. In: Singh BR, Safalaoh, Amuri NA, et al. (Eds.), Climate impacts on agricultural and natural resource sustainability in Africa, Springer Nature, Switzerland, 147–158. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37537-9_8 |
| [23] | Nkonya E, Ru Y, Kato E (2018) Economics of land degradation in Niger. In: Wouterse F, Badiane O (Eds.), Fostering transformation and growth in Niger's agricultural sector, Wageningen Academic Publishers, the Netherlands, 35–59. Available from: https://doi.org/10.3920/978-90-8686-873-5_2. |
| [24] |
Abdulai A, CroleRees A (2001) Determinants of income diversification amongst rural households in Southern Mali. Food Policy 26: 437–452. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-9192(01)00013-6 doi: 10.1016/S0306-9192(01)00013-6
|
| [25] |
Smale M, Thériault V, Mason NM (2020) Does subsidizing fertilizer contribute to the diet quality of farm women? Evidence from rural Mali. Food Secur 12: 1407–1424. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-020-01097-w doi: 10.1007/s12571-020-01097-w
|
| [26] |
Diallo A, Donkor E, Owusu V (2020) Climate change adaptation strategies, productivity and sustainable food security in southern Mali. Climate Change 159: 309–327. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-020-02684-8 doi: 10.1007/s10584-020-02684-8
|
| [27] |
Kuyah S, Sileshi GW, Nkurunziza L, et al. (2021) Innovative agronomic practices for sustainable intensification in sub-Saharan Africa. A review. Agron Sustain Devel 41: 16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-021-00673-4 doi: 10.1007/s13593-021-00673-4
|
| [28] |
Aune JB, Coulibaly A, Woumou K (2019) Intensification of dryland farming in Mali through mechanisation of sowing, fertiliser application and weeding. Arch Agron Soil Sci 65: 400–410. https://doi.org/10.1080/03650340.2018.1505042 doi: 10.1080/03650340.2018.1505042
|
| [29] |
Ademola A, Adenlea AA, Wedigb K, et al. (2019) Sustainable agriculture and food security in Africa: The role of innovative technologies and international organizations. Technol Soc 58: 101143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2019.05.007 doi: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2019.05.007
|
| [30] |
Pawlak K, Kolodziejczak M (2020) The role of agriculture in ensuring food security in developing countries: Considerations in the context of the problem of sustainable food production. Sustainability 12: 5488. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12135488 doi: 10.3390/su12135488
|
| [31] |
Ibrahim A, Abaidoo RC, Dougbedji F, et al. (2016) Fertilizer micro-dosing increases crop yield in the Sahelian low-input cropping system: A success with a shadow. Soil Sci Plant Nutr 62: 277–288. https://doi.org/10.1080/00380768.2016.1194169 doi: 10.1080/00380768.2016.1194169
|
| [32] | Cooper P, Rao KPC, Singh P, et al. (2009) Farmers with current and future climate risk: Advancing a hypothesis of hope for rainfed agriculture in semi-arid tropics. J SAT Agr Res 7: 1–19. |
Figures(1) / Tables(5)
Penda Sissoko, Gry Synnevag, Jens B. Aune. Effects of low-cost agricultural technology package on income, cereal surplus production, household expenditure, and food security in the drylands of Mali[J]. AIMS Agriculture and Food, 2022, 7(1): 22-36. doi: 10.3934/agrfood.2022002
DownLoad: