Adoption of maize production technologies in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania

Abstract

This report of the adoption of maize production technologies in the Southern highlands of Tanzania forms part of a larger study to evaluate the impact of maize research and extension throughout Tanzania over the past 20 years. Using a structured questionnaire, research and extension officers interviewed farmers in June-November 1995. Survey data were grouped by agroecological zone: the intermediate zone and highlands. A tobit analysis was used to analyze factors affecting the adoption of land allocated to improve maize varieties and the amount of inorganic fertilizer used. The tobit analysis showed that the proportion of land allocated to improved maize varieties was significantly influenced by zone (intermediate), extension, and number of livestock units. The tobit analysis also showed that farm size, hand hoe use, and farmers' experience were significant factors affecting the amount of fertilizer used. Future maize research should address the problem of stalk borers, cutworms, and maize streak virus by developing tolerant varieties, and these new varieties should be developed and promoted through participatory on-farm research. Extension services should increase their educational contacts with farmer, especially on topics such as herbicide and oxen use, because appropriate technologies could reduce the labor bottlenecks confronting farmers during land preparation and weeding. With rising input prices, it becomes increasingly important to ensure that farmers have access to credit, and policy makers and bankers should seek ways of providing loans to small-scale maize farmers in ways that will ensure a high rate of loan recovery and low cost of credit. More information should be provided to farmers about credit schemes, and the requirements for collateral should be reviewed. Finally, policy makers should continue to encourage and support the private sector to invest in input acquisition and distribution so that inputs are available when farmers need them.