Maize Farming Households Research Articles

Impact of the Input Subsidy on Farming Productivity of Maize Farmers in Son La and Hoa Binh provinces, Vietnam

Developing the agricultural system has been an urgent issue of the Vietnamese government recently. A wide range of subsiding and restructuring policies have been legislated, such as applying new technologies, agricultural materials, and hybrid seeds to improve the farming productivity of agriculture production. This article examines the outcome of the government agricultural subsidy policies for a drought-and-disease-tolerant maize variety in two north-west provinces of Vietnam. We apply the Difference in Difference (DID) model to analyze data of 255 Vietnamese maize farming households in 2016 and 2017. By combining all assumptions of the DID method, we assess the result by using three statistical estimation methods: (i) without covariates, (ii) with covariates, and (iii) propensity score matching. Our main finding is that maize farmers who received the subsidized seed variety in the two provinces had lower production compared to those who did not by approximately 1.895 tons/ha. The study therefore recommends that the government should consider other types of subsidy such as extension training programs to improve the productivity of the farmers.

Do climate-smart agricultural practices drive food security of maize farming households in Ogun state, Nigeria?

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Socio-economic Drivers of Food Security among Rural Households in Nigeria: Evidence from Smallholder Maize Farmers

Issues relating to food availability, accessibility/affordability, and food utilization remain paramount among different stakeholders such as policymakers and academics. Using data from 250 maize farming households in Nigeria, the study used Foster–Greer–Thorbecke and probit regression model to investigate the factors determining households food security. The food insecurity measure shows that 23.2% points of the households express the incidence of food insecurity while 5.5% points and 1.8% points were found to have depth and severity of food insecurity, respectively. After controlling for households’ socio-economic and demographic characteristics, the probit regression model suggested that, among others, value of output sold, education, credit access and participation in government safety nets program significantly influenced food security among the maize farmers in the study area. Based on our findings, effort should be intensified to enhance the productivity of land through improved production practices. There should be high-level awareness that will increase farmers’ participation in safety net programs. Thus, government at all levels (local, state, and federal) should have adequate budget allocation to this course in order to improve the livelihood outcomes of the farming households.

What Explains Gender Gaps in Household Food Security? Evidence from Maize Farm Households in Southern Ethiopia

Using primary data collected from 560 farm households in Dawuro zone, southern Ethiopia, this study analyzes the gender gaps in food security among male, female, and joint decision-making farm households. It examines the factors inducing gender gaps among the households of those three categories. The results show that female decision-making households have a lower probability of ensuring food-security and a higher probability of being transitionally and chronically food-insecure. Joint decision-making households showed a higher probability of falling into the chronically food-insecure category. The decomposition results show significant gender gaps between male and female decision-making households in terms of food-secure, transitory food-insecure, and chronically food-insecure categories. Overall, both the endowment and return effects account for the gaps; however, the magnitude of the effect from the return is higher than from the endowment on significant gaps in the food-secure, transitory, and chronically food-insecure categories. Hence, there is a need for policies that not only ensure equal levels of productive resources but also help households build their capacity in order to improve both transitory and chronically food insecure situations.

The complementarity and substitutability of sustainable agricultural practices among maize farm households under AFRINT regions in Ghana: Do the socioeconomic determinants confirm these?

Sustainable Agricultural Practices (SAPs) have been promoted over the years as a means of ensuring sustainable development in the agricultural sector. However, adoption has generally been low acros...

Modeling Multiple Adoption Decisions on Agricultural Technologies in Tanzania

This paper examines the determinants of adoption of improved agricultural technologies among smallholder maize farmers in Tanzania. Specifically, it reports the findings of a study that employed a sample size of 1,839 smallholder maize farming households that participated in three consecutive waves of 2008 - 2009, 2010 - 2011, and 2012 - 2013 of the National Panel Survey (NPS). Multinomial probit model was used to examine the factors that influence maize producers to adopt inorganic fertilisers, improved seeds, and herbicides. Results show that extension services, information technology, gender, education level, soil quality, age and household size influenced smallholder maize farmer’s choice of what agricultural technologies to adopt. Based on the findings, the paper recommends policymakers and other development partners to take these factors on board when promoting and supporting the adoption of agricultural technologies for improved productivity and food security.
 JEL Codes: Q12; Q16; and Q18

Gender Gaps in Market Participation Among Individual and Joint Decision-Making Farm Households: Evidence from Southern Ethiopia

This paper analyzes market participation gaps among male, female, and joint decision-making households, and the factors influencing that gap, using data collected from 560 maize farm households in the Dawuro zone, southern Ethiopia. The results from the ordered probit analysis reveal that female and joint decision-making households were negatively associated with the probability of being a net seller, while being positively associated with being autarchic and net buyers. The decomposition results indicate clear market participation gaps in the net seller and net buyer positions between male and female decision-makers. The mean quantity gaps between males and females are more apparent in the net seller and net buyer positions. Between male and joint decision-makers, the mean quantity gaps are significant in the net seller and autarchic positions, while between female and joint decision-makers, it is significant in the net seller positions. In each market position, the quantity of gaps is unevenly distributed across the quantities of distribution, but the values increase as we approach higher levels of distribution. The gaps in the net seller and autarchic positions indicate that males are better positioned than females and that females are better positioned than joint decision-makers. Both endowment and return effects account for the quantity gaps. Thus, there is a need for policies to secure more equal access to productive resources for female and joint decision-making households and build their capacity to increase their resource returns.

BRECHAS PRODUCTIVAS EN MAÍZ: UNA EXPLICACIÓN DESDE LA HETEROGENEIDAD DE LAS UNIDADES RURALES DEL CENTRO Y SUR DE MÉXICO

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Mexico has having since 1940 governmental programs to increase maize productivity without fully achieve their objectives, and one of the critics has been don´t consider the heterogeneity of Mexican farm households cultivating it and their gaps, considering a binomial model of commercial and subsistence agriculture. Productivity gaps have been studied focusing on yield differences between optimal and real conditions. <strong>Objective: </strong>This paper elaborates on productivity gaps of 3391 maize farm households from the Central and South part of Mexico, taking into account their diversity, adding social and functional elements. <strong>Methodology</strong>: The variables were divided into structural, functionals and social, and were analyzed by the multivariate method of principal components analysis. <strong>Results:</strong> Five type were found, with significant differences between them. The major productivity gaps were between <em>Commercial Mechanized farm households</em> and the rest of the types, they have access to better productive assets (6 ). In second place, the <em>Subsistence farm households with women participation,</em> presented the lowest yields (1 ), explained by less productive assets and by social attributes (women and indigenous). Between both types are the other types, with similar assets but social differences: the <em>Low Mechanized farm households</em> cultivate in the tropics using a half modernized farming system ( ), the<em> Semi-commercial farm households with Elder Families</em> (2.5 and <em>Farm households with Diversified Income</em> (2.3 . <strong>Implications: </strong>This evidenced the inappropriate bimodal agriculture vision persisting in policy designing, because several types of farms can explain the limited historical programs outputs focus on maize productivity. <strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study concludes indicating that maize productivity in Mexico is not only affected by the processes of agriculture modernization, but also by other social processes.</p>

Determinants of Economic Farm-Size–Efficiency Relationship in Smallholder Maize Farms in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa

The economic farm-size–efficiency relationship for maize remains unclear. A question that has yet to be answered conclusively is whether farm size affects productivity. The debate on land-appropriation-without-compensation ultimately revolves around the optimal land size and conditions under which farmers can benefit from a more rational utilization of available land. As important as the farm-size–efficiency debate is, it has not received much attention since the launch of the land reform programme. Again, the farm sizes examined in the previous studies reflected large-scale commercial agriculture and were mainly in relation to wheat production rather than the dietary staple of maize. This paper applied parametric efficiency measures under alternative distributional assumptions to data generated from 267 maize-farming households, to understand the economic farm-size–efficiency relationships and their determinants. It emerged that, while farm size is a key determinant of economic efficiency in maize production, its effect on technical efficiency is still contested. Findings suggest that farmer support should be prioritized, and the government’s efforts to make farmers more productive should emphasize gender equity and optimal use of land.

Role of credit in maize (Zea mays L.) production and assessment of food security in a selected area of Bangladesh

Credit provides the means for many farmers to adjust their operations to keep up with the constant changes and, by doing so, to improve their operations. It also contributes to achieve food security of households. Tabular method is used to analyze credit profile, multiple regression analyses are used to determine the impact of credit on maize production and “Modified” OECD scale is used to measure calorie intake level of the 60 maize farming households who has got agricultural credit from Rajshahi Krishi Unnayan Bank in Lalmonirhat district of Bangladesh. Data were collected through field survey by using pre-designed and pre-tested interview schedule. TK.10500, 26333.33, 92103.77 (US$ 125, 313.49, 1096.47) for small, medium and large categories, respectively, which was 100% of the total applied amount. The total principal received by the household was about TK. 50, 02,500 (US$ 59553.57) and at 9% interest it became TK. 54, 52,725 (US$ 64913.39). The repayment performance of the households was about 100%. It is also revealed from the study that credit had a positive impact on fertilizer demand and irrigation demand and overall a positive impact on maize production. The coefficient of maize production with respect to agricultural credit was 0.081. The elasticity of fertilizer and irrigation demand with respect to credit was 0.016 and 0.543 respectively. The calorie intake situation of the sample households depicts that about 6.67% of the respondents belonged to the ultra-poor whose per day calorie intake was 1481.991 k.cal. About 20% of respondents were hardcore poor whose per day calorie intake was 1722.133 k.cal. The persons belonged to the absolute poor about 21.67% and per capita calorie intake was 1934.605 k.cal. The rest 51.67% belonged to the non-poor group. Different financial institutions should disburse sufficient agricultural credit to fulfill the requirement of the farmers.

Women’s Empowerment, Agricultural Extension, and Digitalization: Disentangling Information and Role Model Effects in Rural Uganda

In many developing countries, agricultural extension services are generally biased towards men, with information targeted mainly to male members of a farming household and in formats that are rarely tailored to female members. Nevertheless, female farmers may also benefit from such services as this may affect their ability to make informed decisions, resulting in increased farm productivity, household income, and welfare. We conduct a gendered field experiment among maize-farming households in eastern Uganda to test whether video-enabled extension messaging affects outcomes related to maize cultivation. In this experiment, men, women, and couples are shown randomly assigned videos about improved maize management practices in which male, female, or both male and female actors are featured. We first vary exposure to the videos by gender to test the effects of changes in intra-household information asymmetries, investigating whether involving women as recipients of information increases their ability to participate in household decision-making, and thus their involvement in household production choices. We then vary exposure to the gender of the actors in the videos to test for role-model effects, exploring whether involving women as information messengers challenges the idea that decision-making is a predominantly male domain, in turn affecting women’s outcomes. Results show that targeting women with information increases their knowledge about improved maize management practices, their role in agricultural decision-making, the adoption of recommended practices and inputs, production-related outcomes, and the quantity of maize women sell to the market. Results for the role-model effects are mixed, and are evident more in joint household outcomes than individual women’s outcomes. Overall, our findings suggest that in the context of our study, extension efforts aimed at directly addressing intra-household information asymmetries may be a first-best means of empowering women in agriculture. Other, more subtle means that seek to influence perceptions and norms about gendered roles in the household may not generate expected effects or work via expected impact pathways, though they remain worth further exploration.

Maize Production, Farm Size, and Tied Credit in Southern Shan State, Myanmar

This report presents results from by far the most comprehensive survey of maize cultivators ever conducted in Myanmar. This research was designed to test characterizations of hybrid maize farming from the literature on Myanmar empirically, and identify implications for development policy and programming. Our survey represented the population of all maize growing village tracts in the nine major maize growing townships of southern Shan where the security situation at the time of the survey permitted access. A total 884 maize growing and 678 non-maize growing rural households were interviewed. We summarize key survey results and their implications below. Numbers of maize growers in southern Shan more than tripled between 2007 and 2017. Households with larger landholdings are more likely to farm maize. Many farmers grew local maize varieties before growing hybrids. Farming maize does not reduce crop diversity. Most food eaten by rural households in southern Shan is purchased. There is little difference in the value or composition of foods eaten by maize and non-maize farming households, but maize growers obtain a larger share of their food from own production than non-maize growing farm households. Maize is by far the most important crop grown the areas surveyed in terms of contribution to cash incomes. Hybrid maize seed has been adopted widely in southern Shan. Adoption of hybrid maize has been accompanied by big increases in fertilizer use. Fertilizer application and maize yields have climbed over the past decade. Maize yields vary little with farm size, but small farms apply inputs to maize more intensively than large farms. Average maize yields are lower than in other countries in the region. Women contribute 55% of all labor inputs for maize farming. Chemical inputs make up the largest share of production costs. Interest on loans amounts to just 4% of total maize production costs for households who avail credit for maize cultivation. Average gross margins for maize during 2017 were modest, but only 5% of maize growers made losses. Farms made a profit or broke even on >80% of maize harvests within the past 10 years. Returns to family labor exceed the average agricultural wage. The maize price received by farmers corresponds closely to timing of sale. Larger farms earn higher gross margins per acre on average. Most farms do not use credit to obtain maize seed and fertilizer. Most trader credit is advanced to large farms. Output-tied loans are less common than believed and taken mainly by larger farms. Taking credit does not affect the sales price obtained by maize growers.

Evaluation of conservation application in dryland maize farming in Central Java Province, Indonesia under climate change

Climate change affects soil degradation, water, and crop. Thus, the adaptation of land management and crop rotation to minimize the impact of climate change is needed. Maize is an important commodity in Indonesia. Central Java province contributes to national production amounted to 40.07% during 2003-2015. In order to increase maize production, dryland farming becomes a good alternative. However, dryland is sensitive to erosion and a lack of nutrients. Thus, an adaptation of climate change can made by applying the conservation of both mechanic and vegetative. This study aims to evaluate the implementation and recommend alternative conservation improvement efforts on farming dryland maize in Central Java. The study was conducted in Central Java by using 270 respondents of dryland maize farm households in Wonogiri, Kendal, Tegal, Grobogan, Wonosobo, and Banjarnegara districts. Conservation Activity Index (CAI) is applied to describe the habits that have been carried out by farmers to preserve their farmland. The results showed that the CAI of maize farmers on dryland in Central Java Province is in the range of 43.5% to 95.7%, with an average conservation application of 75.08%. About 68.9% of farmers are in the medium of the CAI category. Evaluation result showed that conservation activities that are still weak in its application are vegetative conservation methods. Thus, we recommend increasing the cultivation of land cover and annual crops, and the use of mulch to enhance the conservation of dryland maize farming.

Evaluating the distributional impacts of drought-tolerant maize varieties on productivity and welfare outcomes: an instrumental variable quantile treatment effects approach

ABSTRACT In an attempt to go beyond the conventional mean impact assessment of agricultural interventions, this paper examines the distributional impacts of adoption of drought-tolerant maize varieties (DTMVs) on the productivity and welfare outcomes of rural farming households in Nigeria. The study employed a conditional instrumental variable quantile treatment effects approach to control for selection bias that may arise from both observed and unobserved factors. The empirical findings revealed that adoption significantly impacts the distributions of maize yield and farming households’ welfare. In particular, the effects of adoption are larger at the lower tails of the distributions of yield and welfare outcomes, suggesting that the strategic roles of DTMVs adoption in raising productivity and reducing poverty are better among poor farming households. These findings emphasize that effective targeting and dissemination of improved agricultural technologies are critical for increasing maize yield and improving welfare outcomes of rural farmers in Nigeria. Policy measures targeted at tackling dissemination constraints, such as the promotion of informal seed sector, may help enhance the successful dissemination and adoption of DTMVs or any agricultural intervention without masking out any sub-groups.

Gender differences in agricultural productivity: evidence from maize farm households in southern Ethiopia

This study examines the impact of gender differences on maize productivity in Dawuro Zone, southern Ethiopia. Our study addressed the limitations of the previous studies in two ways. First, the study separately assessed gender differences in productivity between de facto female-headed households and de jure female-headed households and revealed that female-headed households are not homogenous. Second, the study separately examined the impacts of the covariates on male-headed households and female-headed households using an exogenous switching treatment effect model. We find the existence of gender differences in maize productivity between male-headed households and female-headed households. The maize productivity of male-headed households was overall 44.3% higher than that of female-headed households. However, if female-headed households received the same return on their resources as male-headed households, their productivity would increase by 42.3%. This suggests agricultural policy should target female-headed households to help reduce the productivity gap between male-headed households and female-headed households. Finally, the distributions of the gender differentials between male-headed households and female-headed households are more pronounced at mid-levels of productivity.

Determinants of Food Insecurity among Maize Farming Households in the Southern Region of Mali

Food insecurity is one of the most serious challenges facing developing countries all over the world. In Mali, it has been revealed that many regions suffer from food insecurity including the Southern region which is known as the most valuable cereal production area. In this region, maize is one of the main crops produced and the most commonly eaten food that provides necessary calories to farmers. The present study analysed the determinants of food insecurity among maize farming households using primary data from Southern region of Mali. We employed the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) to determine the prevalence of food insecurity among maize farming households. Probit Regression Model (PM) was used to investigate the determinants of food insecurity. Using HFIAS, the majority of the farming households were found food insecure. These included households ranged from mildly (41%), moderately (12%), and severely (7%) food insecure groups. Food secure households were over 40%. Using part of saving to buy food, borrowing of money, and relying on less preferred less expensive food were the major coping strategies used by farming households’ heads. Focusing on the factors with high significant influence, evidence from the PM showed that maize yield, access to extension services, and off-farm employment exerted negative effects on farming households’ food insecurity status whilst household size exerted a positive effect. We recommend that government should try to put in place facilities and infrastructures bringing closer extension services to farmers to increase their access to information related to agriculture and by this way improve their productivity for food security. Also, farmers should be strongly encouraged to diversify their source of income for food purchases. Furthermore, it is recommended to promote small family size to reduce farming households’ food insecurity in Mali in general and the Southern region in particular.

Poverty Analysis of Maize Farming Households in Oyo State, Nigeria

Poverty Analysis of Maize Farming Households in Oyo State, Nigeria

Assessing Maize Farmers’ Adaptation Strategies to Climate Change and Variability in Ghana

This study examined the adaptation strategies of maize farmers to climate change and variability in the Eastern Region of Ghana using primary data collected from 150 maize farming households by the administration of structured questionnaires. The results of the multinomial logit regression revealed that rainfall perception, access to credit, and farming experience significantly influenced the adoption of recommended agricultural practices, whereas the adoption of soil-related strategies is influenced by gender and rainfall perception. Farming experience and rainfall perception influenced the adoption of improved varieties strategies. This study highlights the need for the development of water resources for maize production in the context of the changing climate. In this respect, the crucial roles of the Ghana Irrigation Development Authority, the agricultural extension division of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and other international organizations such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the World Bank regarding the development of irrigation facilities and the associated capacity building of the farmers are very important. Finally, the formation of Water User Associations for the smallholder farmers regarding the usage and maintenance of the irrigation facilities would be a step in the right direction.

Interceding role of institutional extension services on the livelihood impacts of drought tolerant maize technology adoption in Zimbabwe

The study investigates whether access to agricultural extension services enhances the well-known positive impact of adopting Drought Tolerant Maize (DTM) technology on livelihood outcomes; maize yield, output per capita, consumption and sales using a representative dataset of smallholder farming households from Zimbabwe. The empirical analysis adopts an instrumental variable regression model that incorporates an endogenous interaction term to capture the intermediary role of institutional extension services. Results reveal that access to agricultural extension services enhances the relationship between DTM adoption and maize yield, output per capita, and consumption but appears to weaken the association between DTM adoption and the amount of maize set aside for sale. In exploring the potential reasons why access to institutional extension services might enhance the DTM adoption-livelihood outcomes relationship, the results suggest mechanisms related to the use of basal fertilizers, use of organic manure, access to agricultural credit, use of certified DTM seed, access to general production and marketing information, weeding frequency and disease control which are more likely to be influenced by access to agricultural extension services. The findings suggest that policies targeted at improving DTM adoption as a climate-smart agricultural technology to improve resilience of smallholder maize farming households to climate variability and change must be complemented by revitalized agriculture extension services. Revitalization of extension services may come through capacity building of extension institutions, and their personnel, improving agricultural extension infrastructure, mobility of extension personnel, and increased financing to such institutions.

Evaluation of Agricultural Technology Interventions: An Application of Propensity Score-Based Stratification and Weighting Approaches

Conducting a randomized control trial (RCT) in the evaluation of programs and policy interventions is proven to be the gold standard in literature and in the practice of program evaluations. However, it is often not feasible to implement RCTs due to logistical, practical and ethical reasons. In such circumstances, policy and program evaluators make efforts to mimic the randomization process in quasi-experimental or observational data by ensuring that both control and treatment groups are comparable as much as possible on observed pre-treatment covariates. In the past few years, adjustment approaches based on the propensity score have progressively become popular in programs and policy evaluations. Using a sample of 1,265 maize farm households, the study examines the effects of a seed maize technology program intervention in Ghana on productivity and annual household income of farmers, by comparing the results from the propensity score-based stratification and weighting methods (i.e., MMWS and DR-MMWS) with other adjustment methods such as the RA, IPTW, A-IPTW and IPTW-RA. Results from the study show that the seed maize technology intervention significantly increased productivity and annual household income. Thus, the study recommends that efforts must be made to increase farmers to innovative agricultural technologies to help boost productivity and household income of farmers.