Maize breeding in East and Southern Africa, 1900-2000

During the first half of the 20th century, African farmers transformed maize from a minor imported foodcrop into the continent's principal staple food. In the second half of the century, newly independent governments launched support programs that greatly expanded smallholder production, leading to...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Smale, Melinda, Jayne, Thomas S.
Formato: Brief
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Food Policy Research Institute 2004
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/157542
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author Smale, Melinda
Jayne, Thomas S.
author_browse Jayne, Thomas S.
Smale, Melinda
author_facet Smale, Melinda
Jayne, Thomas S.
author_sort Smale, Melinda
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description During the first half of the 20th century, African farmers transformed maize from a minor imported foodcrop into the continent's principal staple food. In the second half of the century, newly independent governments launched support programs that greatly expanded smallholder production, leading to substantial production surges of 10 to 20 years in duration. Today, after widespread adoption by both commercial farmers and smallholders, farmers now plant 58 percent of all maize area in East and Southern Africa to new high-yielding varieties, which on average outyield traditional varieties by 40-50 percent even without fertilizer....Though these maize-breeding efforts were an undeniable technical success, broader efforts to support national production growth proved fiscally unsustainable, and once heavy subsidies were withdrawn, production fell (see table). This qualified success story reveals important lessons about both the strengths and pitfalls of past agricultural development efforts in Africa.
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spelling CGSpace1575422025-04-08T18:30:11Z Maize breeding in East and Southern Africa, 1900-2000 Smale, Melinda Jayne, Thomas S. maize food crops small farms production increase crop yield During the first half of the 20th century, African farmers transformed maize from a minor imported foodcrop into the continent's principal staple food. In the second half of the century, newly independent governments launched support programs that greatly expanded smallholder production, leading to substantial production surges of 10 to 20 years in duration. Today, after widespread adoption by both commercial farmers and smallholders, farmers now plant 58 percent of all maize area in East and Southern Africa to new high-yielding varieties, which on average outyield traditional varieties by 40-50 percent even without fertilizer....Though these maize-breeding efforts were an undeniable technical success, broader efforts to support national production growth proved fiscally unsustainable, and once heavy subsidies were withdrawn, production fell (see table). This qualified success story reveals important lessons about both the strengths and pitfalls of past agricultural development efforts in Africa. 2004 2024-10-24T12:50:40Z 2024-10-24T12:50:40Z Brief https://hdl.handle.net/10568/157542 en Open Access application/pdf International Food Policy Research Institute Smale, Melinda; and Jayne, Thomas S. 2004. Maize breeding in East and Southern Africa, 1900-2000. 2020 Vision Focus 12(4). Washington, DC: International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/157542
spellingShingle maize
food crops
small farms
production increase
crop yield
Smale, Melinda
Jayne, Thomas S.
Maize breeding in East and Southern Africa, 1900-2000
title Maize breeding in East and Southern Africa, 1900-2000
title_full Maize breeding in East and Southern Africa, 1900-2000
title_fullStr Maize breeding in East and Southern Africa, 1900-2000
title_full_unstemmed Maize breeding in East and Southern Africa, 1900-2000
title_short Maize breeding in East and Southern Africa, 1900-2000
title_sort maize breeding in east and southern africa 1900 2000
topic maize
food crops
small farms
production increase
crop yield
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/157542
work_keys_str_mv AT smalemelinda maizebreedingineastandsouthernafrica19002000
AT jaynethomass maizebreedingineastandsouthernafrica19002000