Template-type: ReDif-Paper 1.0 
Author-Name: Habiyaremye, Alexis
Author-Email: ahabiyaremye@hsrc.ac.za
Author-workplace-name: Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa
Title: Estimating the impact of sericulture adoption on farmer income in Rwanda: an 
	 application of propensity score matching
Abstract: The adoption of an agricultural technology is often seen as a way to 
	 overcome the constraints imposed by the existing resources and/or 
	 production methods. As a small landlocked country, Rwanda sought to 
	 develop the capability to produce silk, a high value-to-volume ratio 
	 product, as a means to overcome the constraints of high transportation 
	 cost of exports. Sericulture was also seen as a handy strategy to boost 
	 rural farmer income by putting previously less productive land to use 
	 for mulberry plantations. Because sericulture was not introduced 
	 randomly, this study relied on observational data and applied propensity 
	 score matching to estimate its income and poverty reduction effects in 
	 six rural districts. The results indicate that sericulture adoption had 
	 beneficial effects both on increasing income and reducing poverty. The 
	 strengthening of related skills development and the supporting 
	 infrastructure remains crucial for the sericulture to successfully 
	 diffuse and yield economic benefits commensurate with its potential.
Keywords: Sericulture, Agricultural technology adoption, Propensity score matching
Classification-JEL: C13, C15, O32, O38
Series: UNU-MERIT Working Papers
Creation-Date: 20170607
Number: 2017-024
File-URL: https://unu-merit.nl/publications/wppdf/2017/wp2017-024.pdf
File-Format: application/pdf
File-Size: 275 kb
Handle: RePEc:unm:unumer:2017024