Impact Of Agricultural Market Reforms On Smallholder Farmers In ...

villageois, (GV)) was needed as these groups handle 90 percent of input distribution in Benin and
all of the cotton marketing. Accordingly, an additional survey of 189 GVs was designed and
launched there during the period June to December 1999.
Data collection in all surveys were implemented by the collaborating institutions, LARES in Benin
and APRU in Malawi. In Malawi, the interviews were conducted by a team of eight enumerators,
under the supervision of Mr. Richard Kachule of APRU. In Benin, the survey team was comprised
of 10 enumerators supervised by Dr. Bio Goura Soulé. Data entry was also conducted in both
countries by some of the senior enumerators who had participated in the surveys. Data cleaning
was done jointly between IFPRI and all its collaborators. More details about the survey
methodologies, sampling, questionnaire design, and data collection are presented in the appropriate
chapters of this report.
Following survey data collection and cleaning, analysis of survey data was conducted at IFPRI.
Descriptive statistics from each of the surveys were generated and tabulated. This report’s findings
are based on the interpretation of these descriptive statistics. Regression analysis was also used to
understand the factors that influence four key variables in the smallholder farm sector. First, a
Heckman two-stage regression analysis was used to identify the factors that affect the decision to
use fertilizer and the amount of fertilizer used. Second, regression analysis was conducted to
examine the determinants of marketed surplus, defined as the percentage of the value of crop
production that is marketed. Third, regression analysis was used to examine the factors associated
with poverty. And finally, an ordered probit regression analysis was used to determine the
characteristics of households that consider themselves better or worse off compared to several years
ago (1992 in Benin and 1995 in Malawi).
1.3 Organization of the report
The report consists of two volumes. Volume 1, the present volume, presents the results of the
surveys of farmers, farmer organizations, and villages. Volume 2 focuses on the results of the
trader and market surveys.
Volume 1 is organized in six chapters. After this introductory chapter, Chapter 2 provides
background on the Republic of Benin, focusing on the evolution of policy affecting agriculture, the
performance of the sector in the reform period (since 1990), and a review of previous research on
the agricultural economy of Benin. Chapter 3 describes the backgrounds and evolution of policy in
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