A survey of 600 consumers was conducted in Nairobi to determine attitudes and willingness to pay (WTP) for GM maize meal. WTP was estimated using the double-bounded logit model. Overall, 38% are aware of GM crops. Most consumers believe in the technology's positive impacts, but are concerned...

Striga is an obligate parasitic weed attacking cereal crops in Subsaharan Africa. In Western Kenya, it is identified by farmers as their major pest problem in maize. A new technology, consisting of seed coating of herbicide tolerant maize varieties, has prove to be very effective in farmer...

The development and promotion of improved crop varieties as well as efficient seed production, distribution, and marketing systems have contributed significantly to increased agricultural production and food security in Kenya. However, these impacts have not been replicated in the semi-arid...

Maize is the major food crop grown in the coastal region of Kenya and constitutes a major component of the diet of the population in the region. However, average yields are far below the potential for the region and low production levels create serious food deficits. Over the years, new...

Maize is becoming the major food crop around Lake Victoria. Major constraints to its production are Striga, stem borer, and declining soil fertility. Innovative integrated technologies have been developed: the 'push-pull' system (intercropping with Desmodium and surrounded by Napier grass),...

Empirical evidence from research on Bt maize in Kenya puts to rest most concerns raised against GMOs (not responding to farmers' needs, expensive, benefiting agro-business, risk of decreased biodiversity), but does indicate that contamination of local varieties is likely and buildup of insect...

To evaluate the economic cost of classical chemical control of locusts, externalities of chemical pesticides in the Sahel are estimated through a farmer survey. The costs of human health, losses in domestic animals and of destroying obsolete pesticides are estimated at $4 per treated ha for...

This paper synthesizes the findings of 22 micro-level studies on technology adoption carried out by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) with national agricultural research systems in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda from 1996-1999. The authors found that technology...

The Insect Resistant Maize for Africa (IRMA) project is currently developing Bt maize for Kenya. So far, Bt genes with resistance to Chilo partellus, Chilo orichalcociliellus, Eldana Sacharina, and Sesamia calamistis, four of the five major stemborers were successfully incorporated into elite...

Maize is a key food crop in Kenya. While maize yields increased from 1.25 t ha-1 in early 1960s to over 2 tonnes in 1982, they fell below 1.5 t ha-1 in 2000. Given the limited land area, there is no doubt that Kenya will have to rely more on modern technologies for increased yields .Use of...