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The 5th ICEED, KIGALI-RWANDA-UNILAK AUGUST, 2018 EAJST Special Vol.8 Issue2, 2018 by Maniriho A. et al P28-45 Effects of Fertilizer use on Potato Production in Western Rwanda Authors:Aristide Maniriho*1 ,Cyprien Habyarimana2 *Corresponding author: [email protected], [email protected] 1School of Economics, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda 2School of Economics, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda Abstract This study analysed the effects of fertilizer use on potato production in Kabatwa Sector, Nyabihu District, in Western Rwanda. Data were collected among 100 potato growers randomly selected in Kabatwa sector for the season 2014B. A well structured questionnaire was distributed in August 2014, and required information about the respondent’s identification, fertilizer use, potato production and related constraints. The paired-samples T-test was used for data analysis. The results show that fertilizers have positive effects on potato output. The results from the paired-samples t-test show that the difference between the average crop production after and the average crop production before the adoption of fertilizers in the study area (1,155 kgs) is statistically different from zero following that the corresponding p-value (labelled Sig. 2-tailed) is smaller than 0.05. Accordingly, there has been a statistically significant difference between the potato output level comparing before and after fertilizer use in the study area. It was recommended that the Government should enhance fertilizer accessibility through credit facility to farmers, facilitate access to proximity extension services and encourage farmers to group into cooperatives. Key words: fertilizer use, potato production, paired-samples T-test, Rwanda JEL Classification Codes: D60; O13; O18; Q13; R20 28 The 5th ICEED, KIGALI-RWANDA-UNILAK AUGUST, 2018 EAJST Special Vol.8 Issue2, 2018 by Maniriho A. et al P28-45 1. Introduction subsistence agriculture, especially The need to meet ever increasing women. This sector contributes to 36% of nutrition demands of the expanding the GDP besides contributing to about human populations makes sustainable 70% of the country’s export revenue. agriculture and agro-based sectors a front Land resource has been considered the burner environmental and social most important factor of production, development issue in sub-Saharan Africa. backbone of the economy and the basis of Food security concerns are currently survival for the entire population escalating in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) generating about 90% of food stuffs due to poor soil management practices on required in the country. The population the fragile soils (Omotayo & Chukwuka, growth of Rwanda is already threatening 2009). the position of agriculture as the backbone of the economy and the basic Rwanda is a country with a population source of livelihood (MINAGRI, 2009). density estimated at 416 people per square kilometer (NISR, 2012) with Consequent to the Genocide against the 16.7% of the population staying in urban Tutsis in 1994, the country was almost areas, while 83.3% stays in the rural entirely dependent on emergency grants areas. In addition, sixty percent (60%) of and a post-conflict reconstruction plan the population is below the poverty line. financed by international donors. In 1998, Like other countries in the region which the government agreed on an Enhanced have suffered years of intense conflict, Structural Adjustment Facility and, with Rwanda’s economy has been virtually the onset of relative peace, the economy destroyed. Ethnic conflicts have erupted has improved to some extent (Bingen and several times since 1990 culminating in Munyankusi, 2002). Whereas Rwanda deaths of hundred thousands of citizens in agriculture has seen growth in the recent 1994. past, the 2010 Government of Rwanda (GoR) leadership retreat asserted that Rwandan economy is in a quasi-exclusive “Agriculture is not fulfilling its potential dependence on agriculture with 91.1% of for increasing the gross domestic product the population engaged in mainly (GDP) and reducing the trade deficit”. 29 The 5th ICEED, KIGALI-RWANDA-UNILAK AUGUST, 2018 EAJST Special Vol.8 Issue2, 2018 by Maniriho A. et al P28-45 Thus it is imperative to understand the systems becomes a tangible approach for need for enhancing sustainability of increasing food production in the country agricultural practices if agriculture is (Cantore, 2011). Nutrients are very going to fulfill its potential for increasing important for plant growth, crop farming GDP. Enhancing agricultural productivity and production of safe food stuffs, and preventing food insecurity in Rwanda especially when organic and chemical will rely on incorporating environmental fertilizers are combined (Chen, 2006). sustainability interventions into the Globally, while enhancing crop planning process to ensure that production, the Green Revolution proved investments are adequately allocated to to be unsustainable as it damaged the address environmental priorities within environment, caused dramatic loss of the relevant sectors. biodiversity and associated traditional For these reasons, it is very important to knowledge, favored wealthier farmers, evaluate agricultural policies in and left many poor farmers deeper in debt developing countries from a sustainability (Altieri, 2009). In the face of such global perspective. The recent Crop trends, the concepts of food sovereignty Intensification Program (CIP) policy in and ecologically based production Rwanda is aimed at boosting agricultural systems have gained much attention in productivity through an improvement of the last two decades (Altieri, 2009). productive inputs use, irrigation coverage Maintaining and improving soil quality is and soil quality. Large improvements in crucial if agricultural productivity and the productivity of food crops are environmental quality are to be sustained required to support the growing rural and for future generations (Reeves, 1997). urban population in Rwanda (Cantore, The productivity of the soil is largely 2011). Productivity is a function of the determined by its fertility, which in turn usage of improved inputs such as seeds, is dependent on rootable soil depth and fertilizers, water and machineries. Owing the nutrients stored in its mineral and to the limited land resources and the organic constituents (Vlek et al., 1997). effects of demographic pressure on land, the intensification of existing production 30 The 5th ICEED, KIGALI-RWANDA-UNILAK AUGUST, 2018 EAJST Special Vol.8 Issue2, 2018 by Maniriho A. et al P28-45 Productivity gains with an increase in the far remote areas are critical for increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) pool are large, the use of fertilizers (Cantore, 2011). especially when combined with judicious This paper attempts to assess the input of fertilizers, irrigation and other contribution of fertilizer adoption to amendments (Lal, 2006). The indirect potato production in rural areas of effects of fertilization practices acting Rwanda. More specifically, this study through changes in the nutrient aims to analyze the effects of fertilizer composition of the crop have been application to potato cropping and reported to influence plant resistance to farmers’ livelihood in Kabatwa Sector, many insect pests (Altieri & Nicholls, Nyabihu District, Western Rwanda. 2003). The recent efforts made in Rwanda by the 2. Literature Review Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Fertilizer adoption and food security in Resources (MINAGRI) under a flagship the world of Crop Intensification Program (CIP) have revealed the potential of achieving According to Lok Sanjh Foundation food security. The subsidized low prices (2007), manufactured fertilizers were of inputs and the facilitation of supplying introduced to European agriculture in the inputs through the program have eased middle of the 19th century, after the the access to inputs by farmers across all discovery of the principles of plant areas of the country. To ensure that the nutrition. In the 1830’s, it was discovered accessibility will prevail in the absence of that minerals like nitrogen, phosphorus such interventions, it is important to elicit and potassium were plant nutrients. The a genuine demand for the inputs from the scientist reprted that these mineral plant farmers. The demand for inputs shall be nutrients originated from mineralized raised by convincing the smallholder plant residues and other organic soil farmers through demonstrations of the materials. It was concluded that a profitability of their use and through deficiency of any single nutrient was aggressive extension services. Wider enough to limit crop yield. distribution networks that would reach the 31 The 5th ICEED, KIGALI-RWANDA-UNILAK AUGUST, 2018 EAJST Special Vol.8 Issue2, 2018 by Maniriho A. et al P28-45 The value of fertilizers was demonstrated (2002) maintains that intensive vegetable in the world’s first agricultural field trials farming by women in Calabar urban in at Rothamsted in the UK. These trials the southeastern zone of Nigeria is continue to provide valuable information associated with food security measures in fertilizer efficiency, with the long term for their households. Given their trial on the Broadbalk site in continuous importance, it implies that reducing the existence since 1856. Jia (2009) points use of fertilizers may result in a threat to out that enhancing agricultural food security. To enhance increase in the productivity in developing countries is utilization of fertilizers by the rural