Inter-temporal and spatial price dispersion patterns and the well-being of maize producers in southern Tanzania

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Periodical article

Title:	Inter-temporal and spatial price dispersion patterns and the well-being of maize producers in southern Tanzania
Authors:	Van Campenhout, Bjorn Lecoutere, Els D'Exelle, Ben
Year:	2015
Periodical:	Journal of African Economies (ISSN 0963-8024)
Volume:	24
Issue:	2
Pages:	230-253
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Tanzania
Subjects:	agricultural prices pricing maize small farms economic models
External link:	https://doi.org/10.1093/jae/ejv002
Abstract:	The authors revisit a methodology to gauge the short-term effect of price changes on smallholder farmer's welfare that is popular amongst policy makers and academia. Realising that farmers face substantial seasonal price volatility over the course of an agricultural year, the authors pay particular attention to the timing of sales and purchases. In addition they depart from the implicit assumption that all farmers scattered across rural areas face the same prices when interacting with markets. Using maize marketing during the 2007-2008 agricultural season in a sample of smallholders in Tanzania as an illustration, the authors find that especially poor farmers face greater losses than what a standard analysis would suggest. They also relate their methodology to factors that are likely to affect potential benefits or costs from inter-temporal and spatial price dispersion, such as means of transport, access to price information and credit. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. [Journal abstract]