Maize

A well-integrated market system is central to a well-functioning market economy (Dercon, 1995). As production decisions are based on observed prices, the most efficient allocation of resources would come about when prices represent scarcity conditions. In other words, a large network of markets connected by fast and efficient arbitrage is needed in order to exploit spatial comparative advantages (Fackler and Goodwin, 2001).

This study analyzed the impact of off-farm earnings on the intensity of adoption of improved maize varieties and the productivity of maize farming in Uganda in the years 2005/06 and 2009/10. Summary statistics show significantly higher adoption intensity and expenditure on purchased inputs among households with off-farm income relative to their counterparts without off-farm income.

In the three major maize producing countries in the East African region of Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia, up to 44% of the dietary calorie requirements is provided by maize. It is also recognized that livestock are an essential asset of poor farmers in the mixed crop-livestocksystems in this region. One of the major constraints to their productivity is, however, feed availability. A significant proportion of this feed is sourced from maize stover. We engaged in a multi-disciplinary research of dual-purposemaize cultivars with the purpose of contributing to smallholder food security.