Crop Production/Industries, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies, Downloads July 2008 - June 2009: 9,

Ly, Samba

Mazzucato, Valentina

English

Research Papers in Economics

Page 1
POLICY SYNTHESIS
for USAID - Bureau for Africa
Office of Sustainable Development
Number 24 October 1996
THE IMPACT OF MILLET, SORGHUM, AND COWPEA  RESEARCH
AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IN NIGER
By
Valentina Mazzucato and Samba Ly
Food Security II Cooperative Agreement between U.S. Agency for International Development, Global Bureau, Economic Growth Center,
Office of Agriculture and Food Security and Department of Agricultural Economics, Michigan State University 
BACKGROUND: Since 1970 Niger has experienced
13 years of deficit cereal production.   In half of those
1
years, the country was forced to import one-third of
its food requirements.  To counter these problems, the
Government of Niger and donor agencies have sought
to increase agricultural productivity by improving
research and extension capacity for three of Niger’s
most important crops, millet, sorghum, and cowpea.
Millet and sorghum together account for 85% of total
production and 80% of national calorie intake.
Cowpea is the leading cash crop, produced mainly for
export to Nigeria.  Intercropped millet, sorghum and
cowpea is the most common agricultural production
system in Niger. During 1986-1990, 68% of Niger's
public outlays for agricultural research and 58% of its
researchers were devoted to these three crops. Since
1976, USAID has invested more than $22 million in
research projects for these three crops, through the
Institut National de Recherche Agronomique du Niger
(INRAN). 
OBJECTIVE:   In spite of increased investments in
research and extension, cowpea yields increased only
0.2% annually between 1961 and 1990, and sorghum
and millet yields decreased by 0.7% and 2.7% per
annum, respectively.  The two objectives of this study
were (1) to evaluate the economic returns to invest-
ments in sorghum, millet and cowpea research and
extension, and (2) to analyze the principal
institutional and organizational factors that influence
the development and adoption of agricultural
technologies.
For objective (1), a benefit-cost analysis of invest-
ments in Niger’s variety development and technology
transfer system for sorghum, millet and cowpea
between 1975 and 2011 was undertaken. A rate of
return (ROR) was calculated, which measures the net
benefits to society from investments made in research
and technology transfer activities.  The ROR must be
equal to or greater than the target rate of return (the
opportunity cost of capital, typically assumed to be
about 10% in West Africa) if the investment is to be
considered “profitable.” The improved varieties
evaluated were P3KOLLO, HKP, and CIVT for
millet, TN5-78 for cowpea, and three sorghum
varieties released to farmers in the early 1990s:
NAD1, SEPON82, and SRN39. Other data used to
estimate benefit and cost streams for each year
included area under cultivation, adoption rates by
farmers, output prices, production costs, and costs of
research, extension, and seed multiplication. For
objective (2), a qualitative analysis was conducted of
the research, extension and seed multiplication
systems.
    
FINDINGS:  In on-farm trials, the improved millet
varieties yielded 22% more than traditional varieties.
Yield increases for the improved cowpea varieties This summary presents information as of the date of the
1
original study (1991). 
FS II Policy Synthesis No. 24
Page 2
ranged from 27 to 46%. The internal rates of return improvements have been hard won in the difficult
(RORs) estimated for the package of sorghum, millet production environment of Niger.  This is particularly
and  cowpea  investments,  incorporating  projected so for millet and sorghum, where thousands of years
returns to 2011, ranged from 2% to 21% depending on of  natural selection have given rise to a number of
the assumptions used regarding yield differentials, good local landraces.  With multidonor funding
prices, adoption rates, and production and extension several times that of INRAN, ICRISAT at Sadoré has
costs. These positive returns indicate that sorghum, yet to develop a variety that can outperform Niger’s
millet and cowpea research and technology transfer landraces.  Despite the difficulties, however, breeding
have contributed to increased productivity in Niger’s work  receives  an  increasing  share  of  INRAN’s
agricultural  sector.  The  returns  are  comparable  to financial and human resources, averaging 68% of total
those found for research on cowpea  (15%) and expenditures  and  58%  of  total  human  resources  from
sorghum (1%) in Cameroon, but are low compared to 1986-90.  
RORs calculated for other commodities elsewhere,
e.g., 135% for maize research in Mali.  Sensitivity A structured comparison of estimated future returns
analysis showed that the adoption rate had the largest from  alternative  research  programs  could  assist
effect on the rate of return, and that inclusion of seed INRAN in deciding whether it would be economically
multiplication  costs  greatly  decreased  the  rate  of more beneficial to continue the emphasis on breeding,
return. or allocate more resources to research on, e.g., soil,
CONSTRAINTS TO TECHNOLOGY
ADOPTION AND DISSEMINATION: Several
factors contribute to the positive but limited impact of
research and extension in Niger.  First, Niger’s arid
climate and soils are poorly suited to agriculture.
Marginal and risky production conditions exist
throughout the county. The risks that climate creates
for agricultural cultivation mean that the scope for
major increases in productivity from crop production
research is also limited.  High-input varietal
technology is unlikely to be adopted on a large scale,
because of the difficulty of obtaining yield increases
substantial enough to make inputs profitable in the
extremely dry climate. 
The negative effects of climate on technology adoption
and crop intensification are compounded by other
factors such as the low market price for cereals, weak
transport and market infrastructure, poor seed
multiplication system, and the unavailability of  seeds,
fertilizer, and credit.  
ISSUES:  In Niger, research has been primarily
focused on genetic breeding, which is highly resource
intensive.  While this study shows positive returns to
investment in this research program, it  raises
questions about whether the investment should be
maintained.  Productivity gains based on varietal
water, or livestock-related topics.  In addition,
improving INRAN’s linkages with regional and
international research institutions and networks that
have a comparative advantage in breeding, such as
ICRISAT, would free scarce domestic resources for
adaptive research problems particular to Niger.
*Funding for this research was provided by the Technology Development
and Transfer Unit of the Productive Sector Growth and Environment
Division, Office of Sustainable Development, Bureau for Africa, USAID
(AFR/SD/PSGE/TDT).  The research was conducted under the Food
Security II Cooperative Agreement Between AID/Global Bureau, Office of
Agriculture and Food Security, and the Department of Agricultural
Economics at Michigan State University, with the collaboration of the
International Services for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR) and with
additional funding from the Government of Belgium.  The views expressed
in this document are exclusively those of the authors.
Mazzucato is a doctoral student, Dept. of Irrigation, Soil and Water
Conservation, Wageningen Agricultural University.  This research  was
conducted while she was affiliated with the Research Policies and System
Strategies Program, ISNAR. Ly is Chief of the Rural Economics
Department,  INRAN. 
This paper is a summary of a report entitled: “An Economic Analysis of
Research and Technology Transfer of Millet, Sorghum, and Cowpeas in
Niger,” International Development Working Paper No. 40.  It can be
obtained by writing to:
MSU Bulletin Office 
10-B Agriculture Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1039
This paper is also forthcoming as a SD Publication Series technical paper.
It can be obtained through USAID’s development information system
(CDIE).  CDIE Reference No. PN-ABT-283 or PN-ABS-728.

The Impact of Millet, Sorghum, and Cowpea Research and Technology Transfer in Niger

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