Replaced with revised version of paper 04/21/06.

This paper examines two questions: (1) what were the most important factors that led to differential rates of adoption of maize technology by farmers in Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi from 1910 to 1995? and (2) what do these experiences suggest about strategic investments in institutions and...

In this paper, we analyze the progress made in realizing this anticipated boost in economic growth for three agricultural subsectors: cereals, livestock/meat, and horticultural products. We begin with a discussion of the agricultural sector in general, based on an overview of the trends in...

This study presents a critical analysis of procedures currently used to estimate the opportunity costs of unskilled labor in developing countries. The issue is particularly germane today. Economic analysis is playing an increasingly important role in most developing country agricultural and...

This paper determines the effect of market reform and price decontrol on the size of maize milling/retail margins in South Africa. Regression models of monthly milling/retail margins are run over the period May 1976 to September 2003. To assess the robustness of our findings, we estimate several...

The Government of Kenya pursues maize marketing policy objectives through the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) which procures and sells maize at administratively determined prices, and stores maize as a contingency against future shortages. A private sector marketing channel competes...

This study estimates the effects on poverty resulting from maize price changes associated with the operations of the maize marketing board in Kenya. We consider both supply and demand responses and the accompanying adjustments in rural labor markets in estimating a second order approximation to...

Replaced with revised version of paper 06/30/08.

Replaced with revised version of paper 07/18/06.

Price transmission between the South African market and other regional markets is not as straightforward,despite South Africa’s role of a surplus producer for the region. There appears to be a host of local factors thatmust be taken into account in order to anticipate the likely level of...