Speaker Hanna Willwerth - Do Input Markets Follow the Forecast? Weather Signals and Maize Seed Choice in Kenya
- Event Type
- Seminar/Symposium
- Sponsor
- IPAD (International Policy and Development)
- Location
- 428 Mumford Hall
- Virtual
- Join online
- Date
- Nov 13, 2025 12:30 - 1:30 pm
- Speaker
- Hanna Willwerth, PhD Student, Dept ACE, University of Illinois
- Views
- 22
- Originating Calendar
- ACE Seminars
Abstract
Inter- and intra-annual weather variability directly impacts yields and introduces additional uncertainty into agricultural production. One way farmers can adapt to weather variability and reduce risk is by leveraging climate information services (CIS) to inform agricultural input decisions. In Kenya, farmers can adapt by using seasonal forecasts to guide varietal selection, such as choosing the appropriate maize seed maturity types for expected rainfall conditions in a given agro-ecological zone (AEZ). However, the literature is mixed about the extent to which farmers and firms use CIS for agricultural decision-making. I address this gap by studying whether maize seed sales respond to previously observed or forecasted weather in Kenya, leveraging spatial and temporal variation from a panel dataset of 665 agro-dealers.