In Benin, fertilizer use was stimulated by the 1994 devaluation of the CFA franc, while in Malawi real depreciation of the currency has reduced the profitability of fertilizer. The results demonstrate some of the paths by which cash crop and food crop production may be complementary. This can occur through the residual effect of fertilizer on food crop production, through the alleviation of cash constraints for the purchase of fertilizer, and through the availability of inputs on credit. Thus, the benefits of export liberalization must be weighed against the risk that it will weaken the enforceability of seasonal agricultural credit, with indirect consequences for food crop productivity. Download full-text discussion paper .
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