Impact of adoption of drought-tolerant maize varieties on total maize production in south Eastern Zimbabwe

Lunduka, R W and Mateva, K I and Magorokosho, C and Manjeru, P (2019) Impact of adoption of drought-tolerant maize varieties on total maize production in south Eastern Zimbabwe. Climate and Development (TSI), 11 (1). pp. 35-46. ISSN 1756-5529

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Abstract

Drought is a huge limiting factor in maize production, mainly in the rain-fed agriculture of sub-Saharan Africa. In response to this threat, drought-tolerant (DT) maize varieties have been developed with an aim to ensure maize production under mild drought conditions. We conducted a study to assess the impact of smallholder farmers’ adoption of DT maize varieties on total maize production. Data for the study came from a survey of 200 randomly sampled households in two districts of Chiredzi and Chipinge in southeastern Zimbabwe. The study found that 93% of the households were growing improved maize varieties and that 30% of the sampled households were growing DT maize varieties. Total maize yield was 436.5 kg/ha for a household that did not grow DT maize varieties and 680.5 kg/ha for households that grew DT maize varieties. We control for the endogeneity of the DT adoption variable, by using the control function approach to estimate total maize production in a Cobb–Douglas model. The results show that households that grew DT maize varieties had 617 kg/ha more maize than households that did not grow the DT maize varieties. Given that almost all farmers buy their seeds in the market, a change in varieties to DT maize seeds gives an extra income of US$240/ha or more than nine months of food at no additional cost. This has huge implications in curbing food insecurity and simultaneously saving huge amounts of resources at the household and national levels, which are used to buy extra food during the lean season.

Item Type:	Article
Divisions:	Research Program : East & Southern Africa
CRP:	UNSPECIFIED
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Africa, drought, drought-tolerant maize, maize production, food security, eastern, sub-Saharan Africa Climate change, food production, Zimbabwe, Maize varieties, DT maize variety, agricultural policy, households
Subjects:	Others > Crop Improvement Others > Drought Tolerance Others > Food Production Others > Maize Others > African Agriculture Others > Southern Africa Others > Zimbabwe
Depositing User:	Mr Ramesh K
Date Deposited:	21 Jun 2019 05:37
Last Modified:	21 Jun 2019 05:37
URI:	http://oar.icrisat.org/id/eprint/11127
Official URL:	https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2017.1372269
Projects:	UNSPECIFIED
Funders:	This work was supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) [grant number:OPPGDI39O].
Acknowledgement:	This work was supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) [grant number:OPPGDI39O].
Links:	Google Scholar

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