Trait preference trade-offs among maize farmers in western Kenya

Paswel P Marenya,Rosina Wanyama,Solomon Alemu,Vincent Woyengo

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06389

Abstract

Farmers inevitably make trade-offs when choosing which crop varieties to grow based on each variety's unique strengths (and weaknesses). This study uses choice experiment data from 1288 maize farmers from western Kenya and applies a mixed logit model to estimate willingness to sacrifice yield as an experimental devise to measure such trade-offs when farmers are called upon to chose varieties with varying levels of desirable agronomic or consumption traits. We find that men and women respondents had similar preferences for maize traits, but differed in the rate of tradeoffs between traits. Women respondents appeared to make larger yield sacrifices for tolerance to drought, Striga weed and good storability than men. Men showed higher willingness to sacrifice yield for closed tip. Implications for gender-sensitive maize breeding and seed market development are drawn.

Highlights

The BDM results (Table 6) show that the willingness to “sacrifice” yield (WTSY) estimates among female and male participants were statistically indistinguishable. This is unsurprising because the basic notions of a good variety such as drought tolerance, high yield and good grain qualities should be universally desirable among men and women
This study used an innovative measure of willingness to pay for maize traits—willingness to sacrifice yield (WTSY)
By using demographic and choice experiment data from 1,288 respondents in mid-altitude maize growing areas of western Kenya and applying a mixed logit model to these data, the findings show that stress tolerance traits have large WTSY and that characteristics related to storability had comparable WTSY

Summary

Introduction

Maize provides more than 30% of total dietary calorie intake and nearly 70% of daily pa capita cereal consumption. 85% of the population consumes at least some maize, confirming its ubiquitous consumption in the country (see Kariuki et al, 2020). The maize crop provides a key barometer for food security in the country. As reported by Kariuki et al (2020), maize deficits in Kenya are caused by low productivity growth (about 2%) compared to population growth of 3.5%. Four million vulnerable Kenyans typically need food aid every year (with an estimated maize consumption of 114 kg/yr) as per a recent government publication (Republic of Kenya, 2019). For strategic food security reasons, the policy ambition is to reduce (or eliminate these imports) through increased productivity, with a stated potential of 157% yield increase (Republic of Kenya, 2019)

Methods

Results

Conclusion