Benefits of manure and drought-resistant maize varieties on farmers’ welfare status in South Africa

Climate change threatens rural farming households in sub-Saharan African nations, particularly South Africa. Addressing these challenges could be achieved through climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices (drought-resistant maize varieties (DTMVs), and organic manure), recognized as a sustainable solution. DTMVs are specific types of maize that have been genetically modified to withstand periods of low rainfall and water scarcity. This study employed a multistage sampling technique to select rural maize farmers across some selected villages in South Africa. Data were analysed using propensity-score matching (PSM) and multinomial endogenous switching regression (MESR) model. The results showed that DTMVs and organic manure adoptions had significant impacts on productivity and welfare outcomes, with joint adopters experiencing a 28% increase in the DTMVs productivity. More so, the per capita household expenditure for the joint adopters of DTMVs and organic manure was 4% higher than DTMVs adopters alone and 8% higher than organic manure adopters only. We concluded that the adoptions of DTMVs and organic manure alone or the combination significantly increase rural farmers’ household maize productivity and welfare. Government and major stakeholders should encourage the use of CSA, such as the joint adoption of DTMVs and organic manure, to help farmers resist climate-change-related threats, improve productivity and welfare in rural South Africa.