1989/90 CIMMYT world maize facts and trends: realizing the potential of maize in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Throughout sub-Saharan Africa, per capita production of maize and other traditional staples has declined in recent years. The worsening prospects for African agriculture are a prime concern of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and its constituent organizations. Agricultural research appears to have benefited the poor in sub-Saharan Africa less than the poor in other areas, and this perception has led the CGIAR to heightened efforts to resolve food production problems in the region. CIMMYT and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) are the two CGIAR institutions responsible for work on maize in sub-Saharan Africa. Their activities are oriented to be supportive of the region's national agricultural research programs (for more details on each center's work, see their five-year budget reports). CIMMYT and IITA share the conviction that maize, which throughout most of Africa is largely a subsistence crop produced by smallholders, is the crop with the greatest potential for alleviating the region's chronic food deficits. The belief in maize's potential in sub-Saharan Africa inspired the feature report in this issue of World Maize Facts and Trends. The Foreword report reviews major maize production trends, technologies, and consumption patterns; identifies key constraints; and points out possible avenues for improving the productivity of resources devoted to maize production and research. We believe that a clear picture emerges of the highly varied patterns of maize production in sub-Saharan Africa and of the complex constraints that must be overcome. This report accentuates the need for strong, imaginative cooperation between agricultural researchers and policy makers in delineating and pursuing a collaborative strategy for increasing the productivity of resources committed to maize. Many production constraints require that technological solutions be developed through well-focused research programs. But the complementary role of policy must also be acknowledged. Effective policiesthose that address the need for adequate economic incentives for producers, for efficient infrastructure, and for the timely availability of production inputs in sufficient amounts-can foster the adoption of improved technologies. For national leaders to devise such policies, better information will be required; hence the need for the kind of research reported here. Better information will also help focus the allocation of resources to research on key issues. A final point stressed in the report is relevant beyond sub-Saharan Africa. The constraints discussed here are serious; they demand attention. But researchers and policy makers concerned with the future of food production, whether in suhSaharan Africa or elsewhere, must not be misled by a sense of urgency into devising short-term solutions for long-term problems. Technological "fixes" that raise agricultural production for a few years at the cost of destroying fragile environments leave a bitter legacy for the future. Agricultural policy and technological innovations must be developed with a clear view to their longer term implications for sustaining agricultural resources and improving productivity. This issue of Facts and Trends concludes that many pressing maize production problems can be overcome. An unequivocal understanding of those problems, based on solid research, is required. Appropriate government policies are crucial to success as well. The pages that follow describe some impressive successes; they also clearly indicate the challenges that remain. We think readers will find this report useful, and we welcome all suggestions and ideas that it might elicit.