One Size Fits All? Experimental Evidence on the Digital Delivery of Personalized Extension Advice in Nigeria

Aminou Arouna, Jeffrey D. Michler, Wilfried G. Yergo, Kazuki Saito

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

71 Scopus citations

Abstract

Blanket advice on optimal fertilizer application rates has failed to achieve potential yield gains for crop production in much of Sub-Saharan Africa. However, digital technology now makes it possible to deliver personalized extension services to farmers at a much lower cost. We present results from a randomized control trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile application that provides personalized advice on rice nutrient management. We find that households who were just given the personalized advice increase their yield by 7% and increase their profit by 10%. On average, personalized advice increases yields without increasing the overall quantity of fertilizer used. We conclude that the scaling of personalized extension services could improve productivity and livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa without necessarily increasing the total amount of fertilizer in use.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)596-619
Number of pages24
JournalAmerican Journal of Agricultural Economics
Volume103
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2021

Keywords

  • RiceAdvice
  • decision support tools
  • extension
  • information and communication technology
  • information interventions

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Agricultural and Biological Sciences (miscellaneous)
  • Economics and Econometrics

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