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Demand for maize hybrids and hybrid change on smallholder farms in Kenya

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  • Melinda Smale
  • John Olwande

Abstract

Kenya is a globally recognized maize “success story.” As the overall percentage of maize farmers growing hybrids tops 80% and the seed industry matures, the slow pace of hybrid replacement on farms, and the continued dominance of the seed industry by Kenya Seed Company, may dampen productivity. Our econometric analysis identifies the factors that explain farmer demand for hybrid seed, and the age of hybrids they grow, considering hybrid seed ownership. Male-headed households with more education, more assets, and more land plant more hybrid seed. Scale of seed demand per farm is differentiated by agroecology. We find a strong farmer response to the seed-to-grain price ratio, which we interpret as evidence of a commercial orientation even on household farms. However, despite the dramatic increase in the number of hybrids sold and the breadth of seed suppliers as seed markets liberalize, an older hybrid still dominates national demand.

Suggested Citation

  • Melinda Smale & John Olwande, 2014. "Demand for maize hybrids and hybrid change on smallholder farms in Kenya," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 45(4), pages 409-420, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:agecon:v:45:y:2014:i:4:p:409-420
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/agec.12095
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    Cited by:

    1. Lunduka, R. & Kassie, G. & Tahirou, A. & Babu, S., 2018. "Do households that sell their surplus maize reinvest in improved maize seed? Case of southern Africa," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277378, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Olwande, John & Smale, Melinda, 2014. "Commercialization Effects On Household Income, Poverty, And Diversification: A Counterfactual Analysis Of Maize Farmers In Kenya," 2014 Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2014, Minneapolis, Minnesota 170028, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    3. Martina Bozzola & Melinda Smale & Salvatore Di Falco, 2016. "Climate, Shocks, Weather and Maize Intensification Decisions in Rural Kenya," FOODSECURE Working papers 39, LEI Wageningen UR.
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    5. Gharib, Mariam H. & Palm-Forster, Leah H. & Lybbert, Travis J. & Messer, Kent D., 2021. "Fear of fraud and willingness to pay for hybrid maize seed in Kenya," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    6. Steinhubel, L., 2018. "Somewhere in between towns, markets, and neighbors Agricultural transition in the rural-urban interface of Bangalore, India," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277430, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    7. Natalia Radchenko & Paul Corral & Paul Winters, 2018. "Heterogeneity of commercialization gains in the rural economy," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 49(1), pages 131-143, January.
    8. Stephen P. D’Alessandro & Jorge Caballero & John Lichte & Simon Simpkin, 2015. "Kenya," World Bank Publications - Reports 23350, The World Bank Group.
    9. Vivian Polar & Jaqueline A. Ashby & Graham Thiele & Hale Tufan, 2021. "When Is Choice Empowering? Examining Gender Differences in Varietal Adoption through Case Studies from Sub-Saharan Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-19, March.
    10. Naseem, A. & Nagarajan, L. & Pray, C., 2018. "The role of maize varietal development on yields in Kenya," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277321, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. Tsedeke Abate & Bekele Shiferaw & Abebe Menkir & Dagne Wegary & Yilma Kebede & Kindie Tesfaye & Menale Kassie & Gezahegn Bogale & Berhanu Tadesse & Tolera Keno, 2015. "Factors that transformed maize productivity in Ethiopia," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 7(5), pages 965-981, October.
    12. Smale, Melinda & Moursi, Mourad & Birol, Ekin, 2015. "How does adopting hybrid maize affect dietary diversity on family farms? Micro-evidence from Zambia," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 44-53.
    13. Rutsaert, Pieter & Donovan, Jason & Kimenju, Simon, 2021. "Demand-side challenges to increase sales of new maize hybrids in Kenya," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    14. Wainaina, Priscilla & Tongruksawattana, Songporne & Qaim, Matin, 2014. "Tradeoffs and Complementarities in the Adoption of Improved Seeds, Fertilizer, and Natural Resource Management Technologies in Kenya," GlobalFood Discussion Papers 189914, Georg-August-Universitaet Goettingen, GlobalFood, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development.
    15. Groote, Hugo De & Gharib, Mariam & Olson, Mike, 2021. "Economic Analysis of 50% Non-Pollinating (FNP) Maize Varieties in Africa," 2021 Conference, August 17-31, 2021, Virtual 315414, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    16. J. Coosje Hoogendoorn & Genevieve Audet-Bélanger & Christian Böber & M. Laura Donnet & Kennedy Bisani Lweya & R. K. Malik & Peter R. Gildemacher, 2018. "Maize seed systems in different agro-ecosystems; what works and what does not work for smallholder farmers," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(4), pages 1089-1103, August.
    17. McGowan, Danny & Vasilakis, Chrysovalantis, 2019. "Reap what you sow: Agricultural technology, urbanization and structural change," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 48(9), pages 1-1.
    18. Spielman, David J. & Smale, Melinda, 2017. "Policy options to accelerate variety change among smallholder farmers in South Asia and Africa South of the Sahara," IFPRI discussion papers 1666, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    19. Priscilla Wainaina & Songporne Tongruksawattana & Matin Qaim, 2016. "Tradeoffs and complementarities in the adoption of improved seeds, fertilizer, and natural resource management technologies in Kenya," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 47(3), pages 351-362, May.
    20. Waldman, Kurt B. & Ortega, David L. & Richardson, Robert B. & Snapp, Sieglinde S., 2017. "Estimating demand for perennial pigeon pea in Malawi using choice experiments," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 222-230.

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