This paper uses information from rural household surveys in 24 districts in Kenya to inform current debate on maize pricing policy. Specifically, it sheds light on how rural farm households are being affected by governmental efforts to support maize price levels. Using information on landed...

The objectives of this paper are to determine the effects of NCPB maize trading activity and the maize import tariff on wholesale maize market price levels and volatility. The analysis uses monthly maize price and trade data covering the period January 1990 to September 2004. Results are based...

The objectives of this paper are to: (1) identify the pattern of private sector investment in the maize marketing system since the reforms were initiated and evaluate the extent of private sector response to the reforms; (2) assess how maize prices and marketing margins have changed in response...

The objective of this study is to identify the factors responsible for the impressive growth in fertilizer use in Kenya since market liberalization in the early 1990s. Over the past 10 years, fertilizer consumption has risen by 35%. So far, it is unknown whether smallholder farmers are...

The objective of this study is therefore to take stock or review the existing body of knowledge, distill the main policy issues and findings, and to identify the analytical gaps. The findings and lessons from research will feed into the ongoing debates and policy formulation, and the identified...

The objective of this paper is to address the farm level issues that affect the production costs and so the competitiveness of domestic food and commercial production. It compares domestic production prices of key food commodities with the equivalent parity prices to assess the extent to which...

The purpose of this study is to assess the costs of maize production in Kenya and Uganda, starting from the fact that there is no single “cost of production” for maize. Cost of production varies according to region, the type of technology package employed, farmers’ management practices,...