Disseminating new farming practices among small scale farmers: An experimental intervention in Uganda

We used a randomized control trial to measure how the free distribution of hybrid seeds and chemical fertilizers for maize production affected their adoption by small-scale farmers in the subsequent seasons. Information on their demand for the same inputs for two years after the initial trial revealed that the demand of the free-input recipients was significantly higher than that of non-recipients; that of the neighbors of the recipients fell in-between. The initial treatment assignment has a persistent influence on the farmers' demand whereas the difference between the free-input recipients and their neighbors has been reduced over time. The reduction of their gap in the demand for fertilizers is partly driven by social learning through information networks. However, there was no clear evidence on learning effects from peers on the demand for the hybrid seeds. National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, 7-22-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-8677, Japan. (C) 2013 Published by Elsevier Inc.