Maize revolutions in Sub-Saharan Africa

Smale, Melinda; Byerlee, Derek; Jayne, Thom

Maize revolutions in Sub-Saharan Africa

Autores

Smale, Melinda

Byerlee, Derek

Jayne, Thom

Descripción

There have been numerous episodes of widespread adoption of improved seed and long-term achievements in the development of the maize seed industry in Sub-Saharan Africa. This summary takes a circumspect view of technical change in maize production. Adoption of improved seed has continued to rise gradually, now representing an estimated 44 percent of maize area in Eastern and Southern Africa (outside South Africa), and 60 percent of maize area in West and Central Africa. Use of fertilizer and restorative crop management practices remains relatively low and inefficient. An array of extension models has been tested and a combination of approaches will be needed to reach maize producers in heterogeneous agricultural environments. Yield growth overall has been 1 percent over the past half-century, although this figure masks the high variability in maize yields, as well as improvements in resistance to disease and abiotic pressures that would have caused yield decline in the absence of maize breeding progress. The authors argue that conducive policies are equally, if not more, important for maize productivity in the region than the development of new technology and techniques. Currently popular, voucher-based subsidies can "crowd out" the private sector and could be fiscally unsustainable.

Palabras clave

ACCESS TO CREDIT, AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY, AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION, AGRICULTURAL GROWTH, AGRICULTURAL INPUT, AGRICULTURAL INPUTS, AGRICULTURAL INTENSIFICATION, AGRICULTURAL POLICY, AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY, AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICES, AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE, AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY, AGRICULTURE, AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION, AGROFORESTRY, ANIMAL FEED, ANIMAL TRACTION, ANIMALS, AVERAGE YIELDS, BIODIVERSITY, BREAD, BREEDING RESEARCH, BUDGETS, CAPACITY BUILDING, CASSAVA, CEREAL PRODUCTION, CEREALS, CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS, CERTIFIED SEED, CIMMYT, COMMERCIAL FARMERS, COMMERCIAL SEED, CONSERVATION FARMING, CONSERVATION TILLAGE, CONSUMER WELFARE, CORN, CORN BELT, COTTON, CROP, CROP MANAGEMENT, CROP MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, CROP PRODUCTION, CROP RESIDUES, CROP WASTE, CROP YIELDS, CROPS, CROSS-POLLINATION, CULTIVATION, DEGRADATION, DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH, EXTENSION AGENTS, FAO, FARM, FARM HOUSEHOLDS, FARM REVENUES, FARM WORK, FARMER, FARMER ORGANIZATIONS, FARMERS, FARMING, FARMING SYSTEMS, FARMING SYSTEMS RESEARCH, FARMLAND, FARMS, FERTILIZER, FERTILIZER MARKETS, FERTILIZER SUBSIDIES, FERTILIZER SUBSIDY, FERTILIZER SUPPLY, FERTILIZER USE, FERTILIZERS, FIELD CROPS, FOOD, FOOD CONSUMPTION, FOOD CROP, FOOD GRAIN, FOOD INSECURITY, FOOD MARKETING, FOOD POLICY, FOOD POLICY RESEARCH, FOOD PRICES, FOOD PRODUCTION, FOOD PRODUCTS, FOOD REQUIREMENTS, FOOD SECURITY, FOOD STAPLES, FOOD SUPPLIES, GENETIC IMPROVEMENTS, GERMPLASM, GERMPLASM IMPROVEMENT, GRAIN, GRAIN MARKETS, GRAIN RESERVES, GRAIN TRADE, GRAIN YIELDS, GREEN REVOLUTION, GROWING SEASON, HARVEST, HARVESTS, HERBICIDES, HIGH YIELDS, HIGHER PROTEIN, HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY, HOUSEHOLD INCOME, HOUSEHOLD SURVEY, HUNGRY, HUNGRY SEASON, HYBRID MAIZE, HYBRID SEED, HYBRID VIGOR, HYBRIDS, IDENTITY, IFPRI, IITA, IMPROVED SEED, INDICATORS, INFRASTRUCTURE, INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT, INTERCROPPING, INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH CENTERS, INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INTERNATIONAL MAIZE AND WHEAT IMPROVEMENT CENTER, INTERNATIONAL RICE RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INVESTMENT, KARI, LAND PREPARATION, LAND PRODUCTIVITY, LAND USE, LANDS, LARGE FARM, LEGUMES, LIVESTOCK, LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS, LOGISTICS, MAIZE, MAIZE EXPORTS, MAIZE GRAIN, MAIZE HYBRIDS, MAIZE IMPORTS, MAIZE MARKETING, MAIZE PLANTS, MAIZE PRODUCERS, MAIZE PRODUCTION, MAIZE PRODUCTIVITY, MAIZE RESEARCH, MAIZE REVOLUTION, MAIZE SEED, MAIZE SUPPLY, MAIZE SURPLUS, MAIZE TECHNOLOGY, MAIZE VARIETIES, MAIZE YIELDS, MALE FARMERS, MANURE, MARKET DEVELOPMENT, MARKET EFFICIENCY, MARKETS, MEXICO, MONOCULTURE, NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY, NATIONAL RESEARCH, NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS, ORGANIC MANURE, ORGANIC MATTER, PEST MANAGEMENT, PESTICIDE, PESTICIDE USE, PLANT BREEDING, PLANTING, POOR FARMERS, POOR SOIL FERTILITY, POORER FARMERS, POPULATION, POPULATIONS, POST HARVEST LOSSES, POTATOES, PRICE VOLATILITY, PRIVATE SEED COMPANIES, PRIVATE SEED SECTOR, PRODUCE, PRODUCE FOOD, PRODUCTION GAINS, PRODUCTION SYSTEMS, PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH, RAINFED AREAS, RECYCLING, REGIONAL MARKETS, RESEARCH IMPACT, RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONS, RESISTANCE TO DISEASE, RICE, RICE RESEARCH, RICE YIELDS, RURAL DEVELOPMENT, SASAKAWA GLOBAL 2000, SEASONS, SEED, SEED CERTIFICATION, SEED COMPANIES, SEED COMPANY, SEED ENTERPRISE, SEED INDUSTRY, SEED LAWS, SEED PRODUCTION, SEED SECTOR, SEED SYSTEM, SEEDS, SMALL-SCALE FARMERS, SMALLHOLDER MAIZE PRODUCTION, SOIL FERTILITY, SOIL MANAGEMENT, SOIL QUALITY, SOILS, SOUTH AFRICA, SPACING, STAPLE FOODS, STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT, T&V SYSTEM, TARIFFS, TECHNOLOGY, TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION, THAILAND, TILLAGE, TRAINING, UNITED NATIONS, URBAN CONSUMERS, URBANIZATION, USAID, VARIETY IMPROVEMENT, VARIETY RELEASE, WEEDING, WHEAT, WHITE MAIZE, WOMEN FARMERS, YELLOW MAIZE, YIELD RESPONSE