Malawi has pursued an agricultural-led development strategy since its Independence in 1964. This agricultural-led development strategy was based on the promotion of a dual agricultural system comprising estate (large-scale) production mainly for cash (export) crops and smallholder agricultural production mainly to support the food security needs of the population. After four decades of agricultural-led development strategies in post-Independence Malawi, economic growth has been erratic and a large proportion of the population lives below the poverty line.

With renewed interest in technical change and productivity growth in the African agricultural sector, interest is growing in the lessons of Asia’s Green Revolution and in the implementation of input promotion and subsidies to promote agricultural growth. While there are several valid reasons for seeking a model for African agricultural productivity growth from the Asian Green Revolution, the abundance of natural resources in Africa compared to Asia means that the Asian lessons might have limited application across Africa.

Agriculture in African South of the Sahara (SSA) can be transformed if the right public support is provided at the initial stage, and it can sustain itself once the enabling environment is put in place. Successes are also specific to the location of projects. In Ghana, interesting insights are obtained from the successful Kpong Irrigation Project (KIP), contrasted with other major irrigation projects in the country.

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Using the Ugandan National Household Survey of 2005/06, we analyzed the production and consumption patterns of highland cooking banana (nakinyika) and sweet banana (sukalindizi). Informed by the empirical findings, we developed geographically differentiated adoption, production, consumption, and diffusion patterns for several types of HPVAHIB.

Fertilizer use in Thailand has become an integral part of agriculture due to the declining availability of arable land and the increasing role of rice and other agricultural exports in the economy. Approximately 47 percent fertilizer is used on rice, production of which has increased from 13.4 million MT to 36 million MT from 1970 to 2010 coinciding with a rise in fertilizer consumption from .2 million MT to 2.6 million MT.

The Government of Ghana (GoG) since 2007 has been providing subsidized agricultural machines to individual farmers and private enterprises established as specialized Agricultural Mechanization Services Enterprise Centers (AMSECs) to offer tractor-hire services to small-scale farmers across the country. Current demand in the country is primarily focused on land preparation services, especially plowing. This paper assesses whether AMSEC enterprises are a viable business model attractive to private investors.

Factsheet

The agricultural sector plays a crucial role in Cambodia’s economy, and accounts for approximately 27.3 percent of GDP. Crop cultiva-tion on Cambodia’s 4 million ha of agricultural land has become more challenging with each passing year due to low soil fertility (White et al., 1997). Fertilizer application is crucial for nutrient replenishment, increased crop yield and elevated crop biomass which is necessary for moisture retention and nutrient efficiency (Bumb, 1996).

The Philippines is an island nation, comprised of 7,107 islands that are split into 3 geographical divisions: Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. In 2013, agriculture contributed 10.45 percent to GDP (PSA-NSCB, 2014) and 31 percent to employment (PSA-BLES, 2014). More im-portantly, its contribution to national and household food security is significant. Cereal production increased from 7.6 million tons in 1970 to 22.1 million tons in 2010. During the same period, fertilizer use increased from 201,000 nutrient tons to 771,000 nutrient tons (FAOSTAT).

Factsheet

Factsheet