El papel de la infraestructura rural en el desarrollo agrícola en Colombia

Abstract

Historically agriculture has been a main economic activity in Colombia. Its performance depends on productivity, which seems to be correlated with public services. This study estimated the coverage rates of major infrastructure services and evaluated the effects on land productivity for sixteen crops in various regions of the country. Using Propensity Score Matching it estimates that the productivity of one third of crops has been positively affected by irrigation and drainage districts. The area dedicated to agriculture in most crops is also positively affected by the distance to storage areas and the density of the network of tertiary roads. A redistribution of public resources towards the provision of rural infrastructure is critical for rural development.