Promotion of Fertilizer Application: A Major Factor to Maintain Food Security and Stability for Smallholders in Togo

Agriculture is the engine of economy and social development for many countries in Africa including Togo. Agriculture has large share of employment creation (54 %) and contributes significantly to gross domestic product (GDP) about 40 % [8]. This study analyzed the factors that are affecting the use of input in Togos agricultural development, particularly maize. Based on the data collected in 2015, the analysis shows that farm size, gender of the household head, household size and belonging to farm cooperative are significant for all farmers due to their influence to the farmers choice on input use. It also observed that access to market affected small farmers who are not close to the input market. The evidence from the empirical analysis revealed that the eight independent variables (farm size, farming experience years, age, head of household, duration of education, household size, belonging to farm cooperative, and access to market) contributed up to 76 %, 77 % and 76 % of the systematic variation in the agricultural fertilizers and seeds use in agricultural production. Special attention is needed to help farmers understanding the benefit of using inputs and good practices.