Land tenure and allocative efficiency in Niger

Using field-level data, an investigation is made of whether traditional land tenure systems are an impediment to allocative efficiency in Niger. It is found that yields are strongly influenced by the manpower available to farming households, an indication that marginal returns to labour and land are not equalized across households. No relationship between manuring and whether or not local customs allow land sales is found. However, manuring is influenced by tenure security: farmers who cultivate both borrowed and owned fields divert manure toward the latter. The findings do not imply that a change in land tenure system is called for. (CAB Abstracts)