Economic Analysis of Yield Losses Due to Diseases – A Case Study of Early Leaf Spot of Groundnut in Malawi1

This paper attempts to quantify the economic losses due to early leaf spot in Malawi. Based on yield loss estimates, the mean annual production loss in groundnut in on-station and on-farm situations is estimated at 34.3% and 18.9%, respectively. Early leaf spot of groundnut alone causes a mean annual loss of US $4.79 million to the national income. Groundnut being a major export earner, eliminating yield losses due to early leaf spot would contribute up to 46% of the trade balance. The impact of early leaf spot management on household food security and on farm income is also analyzed. The results show that depending on the area allocated to groundnut cultivation, an additional 1.75 to 14.0 persons per family could be made food-secure by controlling early leaf spot. Implications for research policies on disease management are derived from the results of the analyses. It is stressed that unless economically viable technological alternatives are developed for reducing yield losses, the potential benefits of crop production cannot be fully realized.

Keywords
Groundnut, peanut, early leaf spot, yield losses, economic analysis, food security