@article{Pender:42328,
      recid = {42328},
      author = {Pender, John L. and Abdoulaye, Tahirou and Ndjeunga,  Jupiter and Gerard, Bruno and Kato, Edward},
      title = {Impacts Of Inventory Credit, Input Supply Shops, and  Fertilizer Microdosing in the Drylands of Niger},
      address = {2008},
      number = {589-2016-39827},
      series = {IFPRI Discussion Paper},
      pages = {88},
      year = {2008},
      abstract = {This study investigated the impacts of access to inventory  credit, input supply shops, fertilizer
microdosing  demonstrations, and other factors on farmers’ use of  inorganic fertilizer and other inputs in
Niger and on crop  yields. We found that access to inventory credit and input  supply shops has increased
the use of inorganic fertilizer  and seeds and that microdosing demonstrations have  increased the use of
inorganic fertilizer. Ownership of  traction animals and access to off-farm employment have  also
contributed to the use of inorganic fertilizer, while  larger farms use less fertilizer and labor per hectare.
The  impacts of these interventions and technologies depend on  the crop mix. Inorganic fertilizer
has a positive impact on  millet and millet–cowpea yields when applied using  microdosing, with an
estimated marginal value-cost ratio  greater than 3 for those crops indicating significant  profitability. By
contrast, microdosing has a negative  impact on yields of the millet–sorghum–cowpea  intercrop,
suggesting that microdosing should not be  promoted when sorghum is part of the crop mix.  However,
better access to input supply shops has  contributed to higher yields of the  millet–sorghum–cowpea
intercrop.
The predicted effect of  inventory credit on farmers’ income as a result of  increased inorganic
fertilizer use is an increase of 5,000  to 10,000 FCFA per hectare (about US$10 to US$20 per  hectare in
2005) in millet or millet–cowpea production.  Similarly, being 10 km closer to an input supply shop  is
predicted to increase farmers’ income by 3,200 to 4,500  FCFA per hectare. These benefits do not take
into account  the impacts of the interventions on seeds or other inputs,  which are also generally positive.
The positive impacts are  linked to the use of fertilizer microdosing, which has  increased the productivity
of fertilizer use in millet and  millet–cowpea production, indicating synergies among the  various
interventions. They are also linked to these  specific crops, because we found less favorable impacts  of
these interventions for the millet–sorghum–cowpea  intercrop and for peanuts.
Other interventions that could  help to boost the use of inputs and productivity include  promotion
of improved access to farm equipment and traction  animals and promotion of higher-value crops such  as
hibiscus. Further research on these topics appears  warranted. Research on the implications of
interventions on  land degradation would also be useful.},
      url = {http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/42328},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.42328},
}