| dc.description.abstract | Maize is the main staple food crop in Kenya and the government policy objective is to increase maize production in order to achieve food self-sufficiency and security. The government has been applying import tariffs on maize, authorizing maize procurement by the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) at support prices, and imposing non-tariff barriers on maize imports as measures aimed at motivating farmers to produce more maize. Maize production has been, however, stagnant with consumption demand above domestic supply.
The purpose of this study was to assess how responsive maize output is to variable 'input factors and how the variable factors influence profitability of maize production. The study used cross-sectional farm-level data pertaining to 2008/2009 cropping year for 70 maize producing households in Trans Nzoia district in Kenya. The study employed translog production function and profit function to estimate maize output response to variable inputs. The results showed that fertilizer, seed and land preparation costs are important factors affecting to the production of maize. Further, the study found out that land size, educational level of the household head and duration of farming also have much influence on maize production.
It is recommended that making fertilizer prices affordable to maize farmers by making public investment in rural infrastructure and efficient port facilities and promoting standards of commerce that provide the incentives for commercial agents to invest in fertilizer importation, wholesaling and retailing would be a bold step towards eradicating rural poverty. The costs of seeds also play an important role in maize output and therefore implementing policies'that ensure improved access will improve maize output. It is also recommended that the government should give priority to addressing the issue of fuel costs as it leads to high land preparation costs. | en_US |
