How High Are Rates of Return to Fertilizer? Evidence from Field Experiments in Kenya.

The article examines the efficacy and profitability of fertilizer use in Kenya. During a three-year period beginning in July, 2000, a randomly-selected group of farmers each applied separate treatments to three plots of land used to grow maize. One plot was farmed via traditional means without fertilizer, a second received fertilizer, and the third received both fertilizer and hybrid seeds. Results indicated that, although the combination of fertilizer and hybrid seeds produced the greatest increase in yield, the rate of return was highest for plot that received just fertilizer.