Seed market segmentation increases maize production intensification in Africa

The potential genetic gains of improved maize cultivars in Africa have not been fully realized, primarily due to limited access to seed information and market constraints. A well-designed seed market segmentation strategy can address these challenges by facilitating the dissimilation of improved cul...

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Main Authors: Yang, Jie, Xiong, Wei, Jaleta, Moti, Snapp, Sieglinde, Cairns, Jill, Rutsaert, Pieter, Zhang, Jiwang
Format: Informe técnico
Language:Inglés
Published: CIMMYT 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/180540
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author Yang, Jie
Xiong, Wei
Jaleta, Moti
Snapp, Sieglinde
Cairns, Jill
Rutsaert, Pieter
Zhang, Jiwang
author_browse Cairns, Jill
Jaleta, Moti
Rutsaert, Pieter
Snapp, Sieglinde
Xiong, Wei
Yang, Jie
Zhang, Jiwang
author_facet Yang, Jie
Xiong, Wei
Jaleta, Moti
Snapp, Sieglinde
Cairns, Jill
Rutsaert, Pieter
Zhang, Jiwang
author_sort Yang, Jie
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The potential genetic gains of improved maize cultivars in Africa have not been fully realized, primarily due to limited access to seed information and market constraints. A well-designed seed market segmentation strategy can address these challenges by facilitating the dissimilation of improved cultivars and providing location-specific recommendations. Here we integrate location-specific data on climate, soil, terrain and agricultural inputs with a sampling crop modeling approach to assess cultivar suitability of maize with varying maturity requirements. Our findings reveal that the suitability of maize cultivars with different maturity has shifted over recent decades, influenced by both climate change and variations in planting time. Short-maturing maize cultivars dominant maize growing areas, although we observe cultivar migration in certain regions. By implementing a market segmentation strategy that optimizes cultivar maturity and sowing time, Africa has the potential to double its maize production on existing maize land, achieving sustainably intensification. However, realizing this potential requires complementary improvements in agricultural systems, including extension services, market infrastructure, and supportive policies. This study generates actionable insights to guide broader agricultural development efforts.
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institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2025
publishDateRange 2025
publishDateSort 2025
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spelling CGSpace1805402026-01-24T02:08:36Z Seed market segmentation increases maize production intensification in Africa Yang, Jie Xiong, Wei Jaleta, Moti Snapp, Sieglinde Cairns, Jill Rutsaert, Pieter Zhang, Jiwang maize seed markets The potential genetic gains of improved maize cultivars in Africa have not been fully realized, primarily due to limited access to seed information and market constraints. A well-designed seed market segmentation strategy can address these challenges by facilitating the dissimilation of improved cultivars and providing location-specific recommendations. Here we integrate location-specific data on climate, soil, terrain and agricultural inputs with a sampling crop modeling approach to assess cultivar suitability of maize with varying maturity requirements. Our findings reveal that the suitability of maize cultivars with different maturity has shifted over recent decades, influenced by both climate change and variations in planting time. Short-maturing maize cultivars dominant maize growing areas, although we observe cultivar migration in certain regions. By implementing a market segmentation strategy that optimizes cultivar maturity and sowing time, Africa has the potential to double its maize production on existing maize land, achieving sustainably intensification. However, realizing this potential requires complementary improvements in agricultural systems, including extension services, market infrastructure, and supportive policies. This study generates actionable insights to guide broader agricultural development efforts. 2025 2026-01-23T15:40:56Z 2026-01-23T15:40:56Z Report https://hdl.handle.net/10568/180540 en Open Access application/pdf CIMMYT Yang, J., Xiong, W., Jaleta, M., Snapp, S., Cairns, J. E., Rutsaert, P., & Zhang, J. (2025). Seed market segmentation increases maize production intensification in Africa. CIMMYT. https://hdl.handle.net/10883/36811
spellingShingle maize
seed
markets
Yang, Jie
Xiong, Wei
Jaleta, Moti
Snapp, Sieglinde
Cairns, Jill
Rutsaert, Pieter
Zhang, Jiwang
Seed market segmentation increases maize production intensification in Africa
title Seed market segmentation increases maize production intensification in Africa
title_full Seed market segmentation increases maize production intensification in Africa
title_fullStr Seed market segmentation increases maize production intensification in Africa
title_full_unstemmed Seed market segmentation increases maize production intensification in Africa
title_short Seed market segmentation increases maize production intensification in Africa
title_sort seed market segmentation increases maize production intensification in africa
topic maize
seed
markets
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/180540
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AT xiongwei seedmarketsegmentationincreasesmaizeproductionintensificationinafrica
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AT snappsieglinde seedmarketsegmentationincreasesmaizeproductionintensificationinafrica
AT cairnsjill seedmarketsegmentationincreasesmaizeproductionintensificationinafrica
AT rutsaertpieter seedmarketsegmentationincreasesmaizeproductionintensificationinafrica
AT zhangjiwang seedmarketsegmentationincreasesmaizeproductionintensificationinafrica