Could low adoption of modern maize varieties in Malawi be explained by farmers' interest in diverse seed characteristics?

Food security in Malawi depends on production of enough maize, the country's staple crop. In Malawi, more than 90 percent of farm households grow maize and this grain accounts for 60 percent of total calorie consumption. As opportunities for land-extensive agricultural growth are reduced, use of mod...

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Autores principales: Fisher, Monica, Mazunda, John
Formato: Artículo preliminar
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2011
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/154229
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author Fisher, Monica
Mazunda, John
author_browse Fisher, Monica
Mazunda, John
author_facet Fisher, Monica
Mazunda, John
author_sort Fisher, Monica
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Food security in Malawi depends on production of enough maize, the country's staple crop. In Malawi, more than 90 percent of farm households grow maize and this grain accounts for 60 percent of total calorie consumption. As opportunities for land-extensive agricultural growth are reduced, use of modern maize production technologies has become essential for producing sufficient maize to feed Malawi's people. Although the use of high-yielding modern maize seed is important for food security, some farmers are resisting complete adoption of these varieties. Understanding how farmer preferences and circumstances influence their decisions to adopt or increase the use of modern maize seed varieties is necessary. Otherwise, researchers may not develop appropriate technologies and policymakers may not design and execute the most effective policies for promoting improved varieties and technologies. This policy brief draws on key findings from a recent study by Lunduka, Fisher, and Snapp (2011) in which factors that influence the decisions of Malawian smallholder farmers to grow modern maize varieties were examined.
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spelling CGSpace1542292025-11-06T06:46:49Z Could low adoption of modern maize varieties in Malawi be explained by farmers' interest in diverse seed characteristics? Fisher, Monica Mazunda, John maize Food security in Malawi depends on production of enough maize, the country's staple crop. In Malawi, more than 90 percent of farm households grow maize and this grain accounts for 60 percent of total calorie consumption. As opportunities for land-extensive agricultural growth are reduced, use of modern maize production technologies has become essential for producing sufficient maize to feed Malawi's people. Although the use of high-yielding modern maize seed is important for food security, some farmers are resisting complete adoption of these varieties. Understanding how farmer preferences and circumstances influence their decisions to adopt or increase the use of modern maize seed varieties is necessary. Otherwise, researchers may not develop appropriate technologies and policymakers may not design and execute the most effective policies for promoting improved varieties and technologies. This policy brief draws on key findings from a recent study by Lunduka, Fisher, and Snapp (2011) in which factors that influence the decisions of Malawian smallholder farmers to grow modern maize varieties were examined. 2011 2024-10-01T14:00:19Z 2024-10-01T14:00:19Z Working Paper https://hdl.handle.net/10568/154229 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Fisher, Monica; Mazunda, John. 2011. Could low adoption of modern maize varieties in Malawi be explained by farmers' interest in diverse seed characteristics? MaSSP Policy Note 7. https://hdl.handle.net/10568/154229
spellingShingle maize
Fisher, Monica
Mazunda, John
Could low adoption of modern maize varieties in Malawi be explained by farmers' interest in diverse seed characteristics?
title Could low adoption of modern maize varieties in Malawi be explained by farmers' interest in diverse seed characteristics?
title_full Could low adoption of modern maize varieties in Malawi be explained by farmers' interest in diverse seed characteristics?
title_fullStr Could low adoption of modern maize varieties in Malawi be explained by farmers' interest in diverse seed characteristics?
title_full_unstemmed Could low adoption of modern maize varieties in Malawi be explained by farmers' interest in diverse seed characteristics?
title_short Could low adoption of modern maize varieties in Malawi be explained by farmers' interest in diverse seed characteristics?
title_sort could low adoption of modern maize varieties in malawi be explained by farmers interest in diverse seed characteristics
topic maize
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/154229
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