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Economic feasibility of an augmentative biological control industry in Niger

OAR@ICRISAT

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Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/10520/
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2018.03.014
10.1016/j.cropro.2018.03.014
 
Title Economic feasibility of an augmentative biological control industry in Niger
 
Creator Guerci, M J
Norton, G W
Ba, M N
Baoua, I
Alwang, J
Amadou, L
Moumouni, O
Karimoune, L
Muniappan, R
 
Subject Millets
Pest Management
Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, Economics
Niger
 
Description Farmers in Niger are vulnerable to high millet yield losses due to the millet head miner, Heliocheilus albipunctella De Joannis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), for which pest control options are limited. Researchers have developed a procedure to multiply and spread an augmentative biological control agent Habrobracon hebetor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) which is effective in limiting millet yield losses due to the pest. This study assesses the economic viability of small businesses to produce and sell biological control agents. It analyzes the profitability of the businesses under alternative pricing regimes given estimated costs to produce and distribute biological control agents. The economic assessment provides budget analysis for potential businesses and discusses options for scaling, price setting, and organizing. Our study suggests that the small H. hebetor industry should turn a profit in Niger at relatively low prices for the biological control agents of $3.00-$4.00 per bag with 15 bags needed per village. Competitive wages are achievable for the businesses that sell to at least 13 villages. Each business would hire three workers from late May to late August. Commercialization of H. hebetor would generate opportunities for wide geographic distribution of the technology on a sustainable basis in Niger.
 
Publisher Elsevier
 
Date 2018-08
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Rights —
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/10520/1/Economic%20feasibility%20of%20an%20augmentative%20biological%20control%20industry%20in%20Niger.pdf
Guerci, M J and Norton, G W and Ba, M N and Baoua, I and Alwang, J and Amadou, L and Moumouni, O and Karimoune, L and Muniappan, R (2018) Economic feasibility of an augmentative biological control industry in Niger. Crop Protection (TSI), 110. pp. 34-40. ISSN 0261-2194