Improving the speed of adoption of agricultural technologies and farm performance through farmer groups: evidence from the Great Lakes region of Africa

The article examines the effect of membership in farmer groups (MFG) on adoption lag of agricultural technologies and farm performance in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. We use duration and stochastic production frontier models on farm household data. We find that the longer the duration of MFG, the shorter the adoption lag and much more so if combined with extension service delivery. Farmer groups function as an important mechanism for improving farm productivity through reduced technical inefficiency in input use. We discuss policy implications under which farmer groups are a useful channel to reduce adoption lag, and the means through which improved farm performance can be achieved.     

Explaining Export Duration in Kenya

This study establishes the hazard rate of exports from Kenya and identifies factors that explain the duration of exports using a discrete-time random effects logit regression model. A difference-in-differences estimator is used to assess the effects of AGOA. Export data between Kenya and 176 partners over 21 years (1995–2016) is used. We find that first-year survival rate is 39%. The median duration of Kenya’s exports is 1 year. AGOA enhances export survival, especially for apparels. COMESA also increases export survival but EAC has a dampening effect, even in SSA region. Differentiated products unlike capital-intensive products improve export survival.     

Choice of Coordination Mechanism in the Kenyan Fresh Milk Supply Chain

This paper examines the nature and determinants of coordination mechanisms used in the Kenyan fresh milk supply chains, using recent survey data of market participants from Nakuru and Nyandarua districts in Kenya. Three main contractual arrangements are observed in the fresh milk supply chain. These include spot markets, verbal contracts and written contracts. The empirical results indicate that though written contracts are sparingly used in the milk transactions, milk producers are more likely to adopt such contracts compared to traders. The results also show that location of producer, source of market information, distance to markets, travel time to buyers or suppliers, gender of operator, and presence or absence of enforceable contracts significantly influence the type of coordination mechanism used in both producer–buyer and retailer–seller transactions and travel time to milk suppliers.