Input subsidies are the single greatest expenditure under poverty reduction programs in Zambia. Yet maize yields continue to fall well short of international standards. One major reason appears to be the yield limiting effects of acidity, which is highly common on Zambian soils. We suggest a...

Major Findings: The additional maize produced from a given amount of fertilizer applied varied widely across households even after largely controlling for soil and rainfall conditions. The median estimated response rate was 15.9kgs of maize per kg nitrogen applied; Under the range of conditions...

Fertilizer use remains very low in most of Africa despite widespread agreement that much higher use rates are required for sustained agricultural productivity growth. This study estimates maize yield response functions in agro-ecological Zone IIA, a relatively high potential zone of Zambia, to...

The focus of this paper is on outlining the procedures used to estimate the premium rates for the Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) insurance plan. The AGR rating procedures draw substantially on rating procedures used in products currently reinsured and subsidized by Risk Management Agency/USDA...

This report summarizes the financial and production records of 5 Michigan feeder steer farms. To be included, the farms must have produced at least 50 percent of gross cash farm income from feeder steer sales. The records came from Michigan State University's TelFarm project and the Farm Credit...

In response to stagnating yields and mounting pest problems, Michigan potato growers are investigating ways to bring manure and cover crops back into potato production systems. The alternative systems bring benefits and costs for monetary net returns, the variability of net returns, and...