Maize farming in Kenya: where did it go wrong?

Maize farming in Kenya: where did it go wrong?

Published Jan 2006

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Willis O. Kosura, Joseph T. Karugia, false

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Maize farming in Kenya: where did it go wrong?

Maize is an important food crop for almost everyone in Kenya. The development of new technologies and farming methods during the 1960s and 1970s saw large improvements in crop production, but this growth has not been sustained. What caused this decline in maize production and what can be learnt for the global fight against poverty and hunger?

Maize accounts for more than 20 percent ofall agricultural production and 25 percent of agricultural employment in Kenya.Researchers from the University of Nairobi, Kenya,look at the challenges facing maize farmers.

The growth in maize production during the 1960sand 1970s was due to an increase in land used for farming and government anddonor support for new methods of crop production. These included improvedtechniques for land preparation and weed control, the use of better seeds and theintroduction of fertiliser.

More recently, crop yields have decreased. Unfavourableweather conditions have been a problem, but inadequate policies and weak agriculturalinstitutions are the main reasons for this fall in production. Central to this isa reduction in government involvement and expenditure on agriculture, resultingin low investment and support for farmers. Maize is still cheaper to producethan buy, but production is far below national consumption, meaning Kenyaimports maize in most years. Despite this, government purchasing of Kenyan maizeis low: most farmers sell to private markets.

The research shows:

  • Poor government and private research limits the developmentof technologies and creates weak links between researchers and farmers.
  • Most of Kenya lacks adequate markets for fertilisers,seeds, livestock feeds, artificial insemination and farmingchemicals.
  • Drought and soil erosion make it difficult tosustain productivity.
  • Marketing and credit support for farmers is eitherlacking or poorly provided; many farmers (particularly small-scale and femalefarmers) achieve little of the potential increases in crop yields that couldresult from new technologies.
  • Kenya’s infrastructure, particularly its roadsand communication networks, are very poor and hinder agricultural growth.

Despite these problems, agriculture offers the best prospectfor economic growth in Kenya. Furthermore, if the gap between maize productionand consumption can be closed, hunger will disappear for most households. Policymakersmust:

  • increase the use of improved seeds, fertilisersand appropriate farming methods
  • allocate more funds for the agricultural sectorwithin the national budget
  • improve the storage of crops by investing in bothon-farm and off-farm storage facilities
  • address the lack of incentives for farmingcommunities by improving access to credit, strengthening agricultural institutionsand developing policies to reduce market risks
  • develop newtechnologies that will help reduce soil erosion and conserve water and soils.

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