Adoption and impact of improved maize varieties on maize yields: Evidence from central Cameroon

• Date: 01 February 2019
• Author: Guy Martial Takam‐Fongang,Gilles Quentin Kane,Cyrille Bergaly Kamdem
• Published date: 01 February 2019
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.1111/rode.12561

REGULAR ARTICLE

Adoption and impact of improved maize varieties

on maize yields: Evidence from central Cameroon

Guy Martial Takam-Fongang

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Cyrille Bergaly Kamdem

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Gilles Quentin Kane

University of Yaoundé II, Cameroon

Correspondence

Guy Martial Takam-Fongang, Faculty of

Economics and Management, University

of Yaoundé II, P.O. Box: 18 Soa,

Cameroon.

Email: gmtakam@yahoo.fr

Abstract

This study uses both the endogenous switching regression

and propensity score matching models to analyze the

adoption and impact of improved maize varieties on

maize yields in central Cameroon. The results show that

(i) education level, agricultural training, proximity to an

Institute of Agricultural Research for Development branch

and farmers’perceptions of yield and risk of improved

maize varieties significantly affect the adoption of

improved maize varieties and (ii) the adoption of

improved maize varieties enhances maize yields. There-

fore, policies designed to stimulate adoption of improved

maize varieties should be promoted. Improvement of

access to school and agricultural training may serve as

good strategies for promoting the adoption of improved

maize varieties in Cameroon.

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INTRODUCTION

Agriculture is an important sector in most African economies. In Cameroon, agriculture contributes

to 22.16% of its gross domestic product and employs approximately 45% of the acti ve labor force

(Institut Nationale de la Statistique [INS], 2016). Within this sector, maize plays an important role.

Maize provides income to more than three million small rural farmers (Manu, Tarla, & Chefor,

2014). The maize market represents approximately 25 billion XAF

1

each year and is a source of

employment for a growing population (Ntsama Etoundi & Kamgnia Dia, 2008). Since the intro-

duction of maize in Cameroon by the Portuguese around the 16th century (Egbe, Brauman, Grif-

fon, & Treche, 1995), maize production has increased, reaching a level of 1,600,000 tons in 2014

(Food and Agriculture Organization [FAO], 2016). Despite the increase in maize production

mainly as a result of the increase in the cultivated area, there is still insufficient maize to satisfy

DOI: 10.1111/rode.12561

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© 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/rode Rev Dev Econ. 2019;23:172–188.

the increased demand, which has led to an increase in maize imports

2

(Figure 1) from 92 tons in

1968 to 13,309 tons in 2013 (FAO, 2016). Moreover, the maize sector in Cameroon suffers from

low productivity, which is estimated at approximately 1.95 tons/hectare as opposed to the 11 tons/

hectare attainable by developed countries.

To address the above‐mentioned problem of low agricultural productivity in Cameroon, in

1987, the Institute of Agricultural Research for Development through the National Cereals

Research and Extension project developed some improved maize varieties that were adaptable to

the various agroecological zones and with potential yields of 10 tons per hectare. Despite the pop-

ularization of these improved maize varieties, their adoption is not unanimous among farmers, and

Cameroon continues to register low maize yields. This scenario is particularly true in central

Cameroon, where there are relatively low maize yields estimated at approximately 1.81 tons/hec-

tare (Ministère de l'Agriculture et du Développement Rural [MINADER], 2012). The low maize

yields observed in Cameroon could be associated with low soil fertility, insect attacks and diseases

such as streak and foliar diseases, irregular and sometimes insufficient rains, lack of improved

seeds suited to certain zones, low availability of inputs, low use of inputs such as improved seeds

and drought (Cairns et al., 2013; Nkamleu, 2004; Takam Fongang, 2017). Thus, this situation

results in two questions: (1) What are the factors associated with the adoption of improved maize

varieties in central Cameroon? (2) What is the impact of that adoption on maize yields?

Several authors have attempted to answer such questions. For example, Salifu, Alhassan, and

Salifu (2015) used a logit model to analyze the determinants of adoption of improved maize vari-

eties in the Wa municipality in Ghana and found that marital status, characteristics of improved

seeds, age, education level, and experience in cultivating maize by the household head had a sig-

nificant effect on the adoption of improved maize varieties. Additionally, Kalinda, Tembo, and

Kuntashula (2014) using a Tobit model found that sex, membership in a peasant organization, farm

size, and favorable perceptions towards the potential yields of improved maize varieties and the

price of their output positively and significantly affected the adoption of improved maize varieties.

In Cameroon, past studies have identified education level, marketing orientation, membership in

farmer organizations, farm size and contact with extension agents as factors of adoption of

improved maize varieties (MabahTene, Havard, & Temple, 2013; Ntsama Etoundi & Kamgnia

Dia, 2008).

Other studies have instead been interested in the impacts of adopting improved maize varieties

on maize yields and/or poverty (Bezu, Kassie, Shiferaw, & Ricker‐Gilbert, 2014; Khonje, Manda,

0

5000

10000

15000

20000

25000

1961

1967

1973

1979

1985

1991

1997

2003

2009

Cameroon

maize

import

(tons)

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

1961

1967

1973

1979

1985

1991

1997

2003

2009

Average

maize yield

in Cameroon

(tons/ha)

FIGURE 1 Evolution of maize imports and yield in Cameroon

Source. Author's drawing using FAOSTAT (2016) data. [Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]

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