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Farm Productivity and Market Structure: Evidence from Cotton Reforms in Zambia

Author

Listed:
  • Brambilla, Irene

    (Yale U)

  • Porto, Guido

    (World Bank)

Abstract
This paper investigates the impacts of cotton marketing reforms on farm productivity, a key element for poverty alleviation, in rural Zambia. The reforms comprised the elimination of the Zambian cotton marketing board that was in place since 1977. Following liberalization, the sector adopted an outgrowing scheme, whereby firms provided extension services to farmers and sold inputs on loans that were repaid at the time of harvest. There are two distinctive phases of the reforms: a failure of the outgrowing scheme, and a subsequent period of success of the scheme. Our findings indicate that the reforms led to interesting dynamics in cotton farming. During the phase of failure, farmers were pushed back into subsistence and productivity in cotton declined. With the improvement of the outgrowing scheme of later years, farmers devoted larger shares of land to cash crops, and farm productivity significantly increased.

Suggested Citation

  • Brambilla, Irene & Porto, Guido, 2005. "Farm Productivity and Market Structure: Evidence from Cotton Reforms in Zambia," Working Papers 5, Yale University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecl:yaleco:5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Christian K.M. Kingombe, 2012. "The Linkage between Outcome Differences in Cotton Production and Rural Roads Improvements - A Matching Approach," IHEID Working Papers 12-2012, Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies.
    2. Jonathan Kaminski & Alban Thomas, 2011. "Land Use, Production Growth, and the Institutional Environment of Smallholders: Evidence from Burkinabè Cotton Farmers," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 87(1), pages 160-182.
    3. Kaminski, Jonathan & Headey, Derek & Bernard, Tanguy, 2009. "Institutional reform in the Burkinabè cotton sector and its impacts on incomes and food security: 1996-2006," IFPRI discussion papers 920, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    4. Kaminski, Jonathan & Thomas, Alban, 2009. "Commodity Reform and Extensive Production Growth: Evidence from Burkinabè Cotton Farmers," TSE Working Papers 09-008, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    5. Olivier Cadot & Laure Dutoit & Marcelo Olarreaga, 2005. "How Costly is it for Poor Farmers to Lift Themselves out of Subsistence?," Cahiers de Recherches Economiques du Département d'économie 05.09, Université de Lausanne, Faculté des HEC, Département d’économie.
    6. Christian K.M. Kingombe & Salvatore di Falco, 2012. "The Impact of a Feeder Road Project on Cash Crop Production in Zambia’s Eastern Province between 1997 and 2002, Labour Market and Fiscal Policy," IHEID Working Papers 04-2012, Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies, revised 28 Feb 2012.
    7. Jorge F. Balat & Guido G. Porto, 2007. "Globalization and Complementary Policies: Poverty Impacts on Rural Zambia," NBER Chapters, in: Globalization and Poverty, pages 373-416, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    8. Zhang, Xiaobo & Yang, Jin & Reardon, Thomas, 2020. "Mechanization outsourcing clusters and division of labor in Chinese agriculture," IFPRI book chapters, in: An evolving paradigm of agricultural mechanization development: How much can Africa learn from Asia?, chapter 2, pages 71-96, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    9. Swinnen Johan & Vandeplas Anneleen, 2012. "Rich Consumers and Poor Producers: Quality and Rent Distribution in Global Value Chains," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 2(2), pages 1-30, January.
    10. Cadot, Olivier & Dutoit, Laure & Olarreaga, Marcelo, 2006. "How costly is it for poor farmers to lift themselves out of poverty?," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3881, The World Bank.
    11. Kaminski, Jonathan & Headey, Derek & Bernard, Tanguy, 2011. "The Burkinabè Cotton Story 1992-2007: Sustainable Success or Sub-Saharan Mirage?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 39(8), pages 1460-1475, August.
    12. Balat, Jorge F. & Porto, Guido G., 2005. "The WTO Doha Round, cotton sector dynamics, and poverty trends in Zambia," Policy Research Working Paper Series 3697, The World Bank.
    13. KAMINSKI Jonathan & THOMAS Alban, 2009. "Commodity Reform and Extensive Production Growth: Evidence from Burkinabè cotton farmers," LERNA Working Papers 09.01.277, LERNA, University of Toulouse.
    14. Kaminski, Jonathan, 2008. "Changing Incentives to Sow Cotton for African Farmers: Evidence from the Burkina Faso Reform," Discussion Papers 45779, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Department of Agricultural Economics and Management.
    15. Aksoy, M. Ataman & Isik-Dikmelik, Aylin, 2007. "The role of services in rural income : the case of Vietnam," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4180, The World Bank.
    16. Canaday, Neil & Jaremski, Matthew, 2012. "Legacy, location, and labor: Accounting for racial differences in postbellum cotton production," Explorations in Economic History, Elsevier, vol. 49(3), pages 291-302.
    17. Macchiavello, Rocco & Miquel-Florensa, Josepa, 2019. "Buyer-Driven Upgrading in GVCs: The Sustainable Quality Program in Colombia," CEPR Discussion Papers 13935, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    18. Cadot, Olivier & Dutoit, Laure & Olarreaga, Marcelo, 2010. "Barriers to Exit from Subsistence Agriculture," CEPREMAP Working Papers (Docweb) 1014, CEPREMAP.

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    JEL classification:

    • I32 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Measurement and Analysis of Poverty

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