Technical change, labor use, and small farmer development : evidence from Sierra Leone

THE FAMILY LABOR INPUTS IN TWO RICE-FARMING AREAS -- BOLILAND AND THE MOA BASIN -- WERE ASSESSED AGAINST DIFFERENCES IN CHEMICAL AND MECHANICAL INPUTS (SEEDS, FERTILIZERS, TRACTORS). FINDINGS SHOWED THAT MECHANCIAL INPUTS CAN OVERCOME PEAK-SEASON LABOR CONSTRAINTS WHERE THERE IS A HIGH RATIO OF LAND TO LABOR. THE USE OF TRACTORS ALSO INCREASES THE ACREAGE CULTIVATED. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE COSTS OF USING TRACTORS, THE ECONOMIC RETURNS ARE LOW. THE USE OF SEEDS AND FERTILIZERS INCREASES THE PRODUCTIVITY OF LANDS CULTIVATED, BUT, BECAUSE OF A LARGE INCREASE IN LABOR REQUIREMENTS, THE RETURNS TO LABOR ARE BELOW THAT FOR TRADITIONAL SWAMP RICE CULTIVATION. UNDER PRESENT COSTS AND FACTOR ENDOWMENTS, BOTH TYPES OF TECHNOLOGICAL INPUTS HAVE LOW ECONOMIC RETURNS IN LOWLAND FARMING. HIGHER RETURNS TO PEAK-SEASON LABOR CAN BE OBTAINED BY PROVIDING IMPROVED SEED AND FERTILIZER FOR GROWING UPLAND RICE.