Abstract

The increasing need to feed a fast-growing population has significantly led to land degradation and a substantial reduction of soil and crop productivity globally, due to soil overexploitation. Adoption of Soil and Water Conservation Practices (SWCPs) improves crop productivity and reduces soil erosion rates. However, the adoption of SWCPs is still low in many countries, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Moreover, even farmers who adopt these practices do not adopt them on time. There are limited studies about adoption lag of SWCPs and its impact on crop productivity. This study used Generalized Propensity Score Matching to determine the impact of adoption lag of SWCPs on crop productivity in the Sio-Malaba-Malakisi Basin of Uganda and Kenya borders and 506 households were selected in five districts. Results indicate that the longer farmers take to adopt, the less the crop productivity they get from their land and this worsens with time lag. In Kenya, the adoption lag of SWCPs is associated with an increasing impact on crop productivity in the short run and a decreasing impact on crop productivity in the long run while the reverse is true in Uganda. Programs supporting SWCPs need to emphasize the importance of early adoption and proper maintenance of soil and water conservation structures, for optimum efficiency.

Key words: Adoption lag, crop productivity, duration model, generalized propensity score matching, Sio-Malaba-Malakisi River Basin, soil and water conservation practices.