Abstract
Maize is the most important and strategic crop in Mexico, however, this sector suffers from low productivity. Among the various strategies to improve yield by hectare, improved maize seeds play an important role. In this context, adoption studies in Mexico of these types of seeds are scarce and in general do not jointly account for the timing of adoption factors affecting the adoption decision. This study analysed the determinants of the adoption rates of improved seeds using the survival analysis method. Farm-level data were collected in 2015 through a questionnaire administered to 200 maize farmers in Chiapas, Mexico. Our results showed that 60% of the farmers who adopted the improved seeds reached the decision within a 10 years’ period. Specifically, young farmers with a low number of family members from several generations of agricultural work, who exhibited positive attitudes towards innovation and with low risk perception were likely to adopt the new varieties. Furthermore, results showed that the NAFTA Mexican reform of agricultural policy in 1994 negatively affected the adoption rate of improved seeds. Improving the maize yield requires adequate extension information systems that allow farmers to receive more information on the importance of adoption innovation as well as help them market their products.
Highlights
The globalization and liberalization of food markets as well as the agriculture sector in particular have created a scenario where the predominant position is to achieve food security from comparative and competitive advantages
This paper examined the adoption behaviour over time of improved maize seeds of smallholder farmers in the Chiapas, Mexico using survival analysis, a statistical technique which provides numerical and graphical summaries of duration data and allows the researcher to investigate the effects of explanatory variables on the duration of stay of an individual in a given state
Our results showed that the adoption of improved seeds was affected by the number of family members working in the maize production process
Summary
The globalization and liberalization of food markets as well as the agriculture sector in particular have created a scenario where the predominant position is to achieve food security from comparative and competitive advantages. To improve and ensure Mexican food security policy, maize production in country should increase to meet the increasing demand for maize. This strategy is relevant when the reduction of arable land due to population growth is taken into consideration. Turrent et al [6] estimated that the potential for maize production in Mexico was 52 million tons, of which 28 million would be feasible to achieve in the short term This short-term increase could be reached without increasing the amount of agricultural land used, without cultivating transgenic maize and with good agronomic practices. Increasing maize production and yields are feasible options under non-irrigated conditions, especially through the adoption of improved seeds [7]
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