Suchergebnisse

Genetically modified (GM) crops could increase economic growth and enhance living standards in Africa, but political issues have slowed the use of biotechnology. This is the first study that assesses the potential impact of GM crops in Africa while considering the preferences of producers and consumers towards GMOs as well as the income and price risks they face. The study uses a choice experiment to estimate the ex ante economic impact of a novel technology, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cowpea, on producers and consumers in Benin, Niger and northern Nigeria. The experiment involves the simulation of a market transaction similar to those in open air markets in West Africa. During the market simulation, respondents are informed about the advantages and disadvantages, including health risks, of Bt cowpea. The results from the study suggest that cowpea growers and consumers in Benin and northern Nigeria prefer Bt to conventional cowpea for health safety reasons. The results estimate that social welfare in Benin, Niger and northern Nigeria would increase by at least US$11.82 per capita annually with Bt cowpea, if seed sectors are operating smoothly. With inefficiencies in seed sectors and the potential for cowpea acreage increase, the estimated social welfare increase in the region would be about US$1.26 per capita annually. ; Peer Review

La filière oeuf de table est un secteur d'activité pour de nombreux jeunes entrepreneurs au Bénin. L'objectif de l'étude était d'analyser l'efficience technique et les sources d'inefficience des exploitations des jeunes entrepreneurs produisant des oeufs de table au Bénin. La statistique descriptive et l'approche de frontière stochastique utilisant une spécification de la fonction Cobb Douglas ont été les méthodes utilisées sur des données de panel non cylindrées couvrant la période de 2010 à 2017. Les résultats ont indiqué que le score moyen de l'efficience technique a été de 0,91, traduisant une performance technique élevée des exploitations avicoles dirigées par des jeunes entrepreneurs. Mais le score moyen le plus faible a été de 0,48 tandis que le meilleur score était de 0,97. De plus, un peu moins du tiers des exploitations ont obtenu un score d'efficience technique inférieur à la moyenne. Ce qui montre que des efforts restent à fournir pour améliorer les niveaux actuels d'efficiences techniques de ces exploitations. Les meilleurs scores d'efficience technique étaient obtenus par les exploitations avicoles de grandes tailles ayant reçu une formation professionnelle et faisant recours aux services vétérinaires pour gérer les maladies. En conséquence, l'Etat peut bien s'appuyer sur les jeunes entrepreneurs avicoles pour réaliser son objectif d'accroître la production des oeufs de table. Parmi les actions envisageables, l'appui à l'accroissement de la taille des exploitations avicoles et le renforcement des capacités techniques et managériales des entrepreneurs sont à souligner, avec un accent particulier sur les chefs d'entreprises femmes. The table egg sector is a domain of activity for many young entrepreneurs in Benin. The objective of the study was to analyze the technical efficiency and the sources of inefficiencies of the farms of young entrepreneurs producing table eggs in Benin. The descriptive statistics and the stochastic frontier approach using a specification of the Cobb Douglas function were the methods used on nondisplacement panel data covering the period from 2010 to 2017. The results indicated that the average technical efficiency score was 0.91 reflecting a high technical performance of the poultry farms of young entrepreneurs. But the lowest average score was 0.48 while the best score was 0.97. Almost a third of the farms obtained a technical efficiency score below the average. This shows that efforts remain to be made to improve the current levels of technical efficiency of these farms. The highest technical efficiency scores were obtained by large, large poultry farms that had received professional training and used veterinary services to manage diseases. As a result, the Benin Government may well rely on young poultry entrepreneurs to achieveits goal of increasing the production of table eggs. The actions should contribute to increasing the size of poultry farms and strengthening the technical and managerial capacities of entrepreneurs with a particular focus on women entrepreneurs. ; Peer Review

Open Access Journal; Published online: 22 Apr 2022 ; The youth unemployment situation is an essential component of the current agricultural policy agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Deep-rooted debates on finding a lasting solution to this problem using agriculture have been targeted as one of the panaceas. Using data from 207 systematically selected rice-producing households, this study employed the Propensity Score Matching method (PSM) and the Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment method (IPWRA) to examine the effect of intensive youth participation in agriculture on productivity and household revenue in Nigeria. We found that the key factors influencing the decisions of youth to participate in agriculture intensively include the number of years of farming experience, access to credit, membership in social groups, income, and land access. The PSM results indicate that rice productivity could increase by 1088.78 kg/ha if youth decide to intensively participate in agriculture. The IPWRA results show a positive and significant impact of intensive youth participation in agriculture on productivity and revenue. Therefore, our results suggest that efforts by the government and stakeholders towards encouraging flexible accessibility to credit (low-interest and easy repayment) and land without collateral to young people could enhance their participation in intensive agriculture and could subsequently boost productivity and household revenue.

Open Access Journal; Published online: 13 Jul 2021 ; The increasing rate of youth unemployment in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, remains among the challenges to social and economic stability. Accordingly, the Nigerian government implemented several interventions, including the Youth-in-Agribusiness (YIA) program to reduce youth unemployment. However, the effect of these programs on gainful employment creation is yet to be documented. Therefore, this study examined the impact of the YIA program on creating gainful employment among the youth. Multistage random sampling was used to obtain cross-sectional data from 668 youth in Southwestern Nigeria. Propensity score matching and endogenous switching probit techniques were used for the estimations. Results indicated that variables such as educational attainment, access to training, non-agricultural activity, membership in a youth organization, access to credit, productive resources, and youth location were significant and positively influenced youth decision to participate in the YIA program. Furthermore, participation in the YIA program has a significant positive impact on gainful employment among the youth. Therefore, the study recommends that strengthening social capital such as youth organization, credit scheme (financed by private and government), vocational training, and educational system is vital in enhancing participation in the YIA program and eventually gainful employment of youth.