The Republic of Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country where nearly 65 percent of the population lives in rural areas. Wheat is the staple crop in Kyrgyzstan; however, average wheat yields were just 2.4 metric tons (MT)/ha as of 2013, which is well below potential yield estimates of 5.5 MT/ ha. The country is classified by the UN FAO as a low-income, food-deficit country that relies on wheat imports from Kazakhstan and Russia to cover 25 percent of its consumption requirements.

The contribution of chemical fertilizers towards increased agricultural production is well established. Indian agricultural policy focused on increasing productivity and modern inputs such as improved seeds (HYVs), irrigation, chemical fertilizers, etc. have played an important role in increasing crop production and productivity. Increased fertilizer use will continue to play an important role in increasing agricultural productivity given the diminishing land available for cultivation.

This study assesses whether the recent public and private efforts to improve farmers’ access to mechanical power in Ghana have had the intended effects on the country’s agricultural sector. Using panel survey data, this paper analyses the drivers of farm mechanization and its net impacts on cropland expansion and farming system intensification in northern Ghana. Several factors explain the use and use intensity of agricultural mechanization, including landholding size, total labor and fertilizer use per hectare, chemical use, and amount of land left fallow.

The Ghana Agriculture Production Survey (GAPS) undertaken by the Statistics, Research and Information Directorate (SRID) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture is designed to provide data on community amenities, characteristics of farm families, utilization of land, use of inputs, outputs of major agricultural commodities, post-farm activities, household incomes, health of farm families, and health of farm animals on an annual basis.

This first annual trends and outlook (ATOR) report for Swaziland assesses the performance of the agriculture sector in terms of investment, growth, and poverty and hunger outcomes over the period 2000–2011. The need for monitoring arises from the fact, that Swaziland and other African countries need to regularly assess whether or not they are making good on their commitments in terms of national development targets and regionally agreed development targets; and provide such information to various state and non–state actors and stakeholders at national and regional levels.

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Most of the poor in the developing countries are smallholder farmers. Improving their productivity is essential for reducing poverty. Despite small landholdings, a high degree of land fragmentation, and rising labor costs, agricultural production in China has steadily increased. If one treats the farm household as the unit of analysis, it would be difficult to explain the conundrum. When seeing agricultural production from the lens of division of labor, the puzzle can be easily solved.