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

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Seed purchase patterns Almost all purchased seed (98 percent) is bought on a cash basis.<br />

Unlike fertilizer, it is generally not possible to purchase seed on credit. The most important<br />

suppliers of purchased seed are traders (55 percent), other farmers (36 percent), and CARDER (6<br />

percent) (see Table 4.1.45). The suppliers of seed and the large share of cash transactions do not<br />

vary markedly between male- and female-headed household, nor across expenditure categories.<br />

Changes in the availability of improved seed Farm households were asked whether the<br />

availability of improved seed varieties was better or worse than in 1992. Overall, the response was<br />

positive. Almost 40 percent reported that availability had improved and just 7 percent said that it<br />

had deteriorated. The remainder either saw no change (33 percent), had no opinion (18 percent), or<br />

said that the question was not applicable (2 percent) (see Table 4.1.46).<br />

The perception of improved availability of seed varieties was strongest in Atacora, where 60<br />

percent saw improvement and just 2 percent reported a deterioration. The perception was weakest<br />

in Atlantique, where most farm households reported no change since 1992. Outside of Atlantique,<br />

however, the percentage saying that availability had improved was at least four times greater than<br />

the percentage saying it had gotten worse (see Table 4.1.46).<br />

The perception of improved availability was not limited to male-headed households or richer<br />

households. More households reported improvement than deterioration among both male- and<br />

female-headed households and among households in all five expenditure categories. <strong>In</strong> fact, poor<br />

households seemed to have a more favorable view of changes in seed availability than richer<br />

households did (see Tables 4.1.47 and 4.1.48).<br />

Change in use of purchased seed Respondents were also asked if their use of purchased<br />

seed for each crop had increased or decreased since 1992. A majority of those growing each crop<br />

said that there had been no change in the use of purchased seed, but for most crops the number of<br />

households reporting an increase exceeded the number reporting a decrease. The strongest<br />

evidence for the wider use of purchased seed is in the case of rice, where 38 percent report an<br />

increase, while just 4 percent report a decrease. Purchased seed use has also increased in the<br />

growing of sorghum/millet, yams, piment, “other vegetables,” cotton, and “other crops.” The<br />

evidence is weaker in the case of manioc and cowpeas. <strong>On</strong> the other hand, there is no indication of<br />

increased use of purchased maize seed and the use of purchased groundnut seed appears to have<br />

declined (see Table 4.1.49).<br />

52

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