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Debility due to malaria remains a major constraint to economic growth in many Agrarian economies. In the case of Ethiopia, nearly 70% of the population reside in malaria prone areas with focal and multifocal malaria epidemics, presenting a major challenge to subsistence farmers who rely on family labor supply for agricultural production. Various studies have analysed the economic burden of malaria in developing countries, proposing various interventions to reduce its prevalence. These studies have, however, paid little attention to the role of gender in shaping the impact of malaria infections on agricultural labor supply and productivity. There is evidence of existence of complex and diverse gender norms that shape decision making and gender roles in households in many African countries and may influence the risks of malaria infections within households, and access to services for malaria prevention and control. In this study, we examine the direct and indirect effects of malaria risk on agricultural productivity among smallholder farmers. We deviate from previous research in two main aspects: we examine productivity effects of the disease by sex and age of the infected member of the household and estimate the malaria equations using the fractional response model to overcome the limitations of linear and non-linear econometric estimators for bounded data. We find that malaria significantly reduces crop yields and labor productivity. For instance, a 50% increase in malaria prevalence in a household can reduce the per capita land productivity by US$13.4/year, which is about 7.8% reduction in annual per capita income. The estimated loss in labor productivity is about US$1.38/person-day given a 50% rise in malaria prevalence in a household. The results further reveal differential productivity effects of the disease with respect to gender of the household member infected; the effect is greatest when women and children below 14 years in the household fall sick compared to men. The results highlight the need to strengthen women and children's access to malaria control and prevention services to enhance human health and agricultural productivity. Furthermore, rural development projects may achieve greater health benefits by integrating malaria control interventions with the existing agricultural interventions. JEL Classifications: M1, M2, O1 and O2 Keywords: Malaria risk, Agriculture productivity, Gender, Ethiopia Contact author's email address: diirog@yahoo.co.uk, INTRODUCTION Malaria remains a major health and economic burden in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), accounting for 10% of the overall disease burden, and 40% of the public health expenditure in the [...]

We utilized data from cereal, legume, and vegetable growers in Kenya and Uganda to assess their knowledge and management practices of common pests and willingness to pay (WTP) for biopesticides. The contingent valuation method was used to assess the WTP and associated factors among 600 and 700 farmers in Kenya and Uganda, respectively. Fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) was reported as the major maize pest in both countries, while aphids (Aphis spp.) and Tuta absoluta were ranked as the main legume and vegetable pests, respectively. Most farmers (>65%) used chemical pesticides as the main method to control pests, with most of them (>70%) being aware of the negative effects of chemical pesticides on human health. A higher proportion of vegetable farmers (>80%) were WTP a premium price for biopesticides compared to 60% and 50% of the maize and legume farmers, respectively. On average the WTP price was estimated at US$23.33, US$18.27, and US$15.74 per acre among the vegetable, maize, and legume growers, respectively. Being a male, more educated, with higher income, aware of the negative effects of chemical pesticide use, and a risk-taker increased WTP for biopesticides. On the flip side, old age, big family size, and having trust to other community members decreased WTP for biopesticides. Our findings provide insights into the market opportunities of biopesticides in Kenya and Uganda. Training farmers on the benefits of biopesticides may promote their attitude towards the utilization of this kind of pesticides and consequently reduce the use of chemical pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]