Role of Inputs and Productivity in Agricultural Growth in Africa

Agricultural and economic growth in Africa will be fueled by land, agrochemicals, labor quantity, labor quality, tractors, livestock, technology and random factors, all put together, according to Dr. Guy Blaise Nkamleu, of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). Nkamleu looked at why some African countries had experienced rapid economic growth, while others experience economic stagnation and regression under the same conditions. The driving forces affecting African agricultural growth must be explored and acted upon to remedy the situation, he added.

Nkamleu’s study provides a quantification of the contribution of different inputs to the agricultural growth, and also highlights the extent to which agricultural growth contributors vary across countries and regions in relation with different country conditions, institutions and politico-historical factors. “These findings have important implications for research and show types and the extent of interventions needed to be put in place in each region/countries for enhancing the agricultural growth of African agriculture”, Nkamleu said.

Read the news article at http://www.iita.org/cms/details/news_details.aspx?articleid=1062&zoneid=81.