Title: Assessing the benefits of Green Super Rice in Sub Sahara Africa: Evidence from Mozambique

Speaker: (with photo): Valerian Olivier Pede

Time: May 15, 2023, 19:00-20:30 PM

Location: Zoom: 859 8013 8478

Content Introduction:

In Mozambique, smallholder farmers commonly grow rice under rainfed systems with limited fertilizer application; That, productivity remains very low More over, the option rate of improved rice varieties is as low as 3 per cent, partially because these varieties manually require an irrigated environment with the use of fertilizer Green super rice (GSR) variables are expected to sustain high yield potential under severe stress conditions This article used farm level survey data collected in Mozambique to assess the benefits of the option of a GSR variety (Sim ã o) on the yield and cost effectiveness of small holder rice producers The economic approach involves dependence score matching and a simultaneous equation model with endogenous switching regulation to account for observable and unobservable

factors that affect option and output variables The results indicate positive and significant benefits from advertising GSR on rice yield and cost effectiveness for advisors These benefits are observed not only in irrigated environments where fertilization is applied together with some more advanced farming practices (ie. Gaza province), but also in Nanjing and Sofala provinces where farmers grow rice under rain conditions with no fertilization application Our findings suggest that GSR variables have the potential to bring some positive changes in the development of rice production in Mozambique

Introduction to the speaker:

Dr. Valerian Pede is currently Head of Transformative Policies and Investments, Senior Agricultural Economics and Research Unit Leader at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines He received his PhD in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University (USA) in 2009 and a Master of Science in the same field at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville in 2015 

He has more than 15 years of experience related to international agricultural development in South and Southeast Asia, West Africa, Eastern and Southern Africa. He has a strong quantitative and qualitative background and track record in leading teams applying modern economic analysis and econometrics methods to support operational agricultural policy recommendations in order to advance food security, reduce poverty, improve environmental sustainability, and adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture. His research interest includes: adoption and impact assessment of agricultural technologies, applied spatial econometric analysis, applied time series analysis, climate change, food security, poverty, economic growth analysis, population economics, regional economics, markets and trade economics etc. He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals.

(Undertaken by: Department of Applied Economics, Research and Academic Center)