EPAR TECHNICAL REPORT #310
Fri, 11/20/2015
AUTHORS: Caitlin Aylward, Pierre Biscaye, Katie Panhorst Harris, Melissa LaFayette, Zoë True, C. Leigh Anderson, Travis Reynolds
ABSTRACT:
Cereal yield variability is influenced by initial conditions such as suitability of the farming system for cereal cultivation, current production quantities and yields, and zone-specific potential yields limited by water availability. However, exogenous factors such as national policies, climate, and international market conditions also impact farm-level yields directly or provide incentives or disincentives for farmers to intensify production. We conduct a selective literature review of policy-related drivers of maize yields in Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda and pair the findings with FAOSTAT data on yield and productivity. This report presents our cumulative findings along with contextual evidence of the hypothesized drivers behind maize yield trends over the past 20 years for the focus countries.
TYPE OF RESEARCH: Literature Review
RESEARCH TOPIC CATEGORY: Sustainable Agriculture & Rural Livelihoods; Agricultural Productivity, Yield, & Constraints; Market & Value Chain Analysis
GEOGRAPHIC FOCUS: East Africa Region and Selected Countries
Downloadable Documents
Full Report