Agricultural Transformation in Maize Producing Areas of Africa

*Paul L. Woomer, Dries Roobroeck and Welissa Mulei*

### **Abstract**

Maize is a critical staple cereal across Sub-Saharan Africa but attempts to improve its productivity in small-scale farming systems often prove disappointing. The 12 key technologies required to overcome poor yields are mostly known, but the manner in which they are mobilized, packaged, and delivered requires re-evaluation. Combinations of better varieties and their necessary accompanying inputs must become more available and affordable for an African maize revolution to succeed, and land must be managed in ways that enhance, rather than diminish, land quality over time. Adjustments to the bundling and transfer of these technologies as transferable assets pose a solvable dilemma. These interventions must be based upon specific agro-ecological and socio-economic contexts and offered within the scope of well-designed regional and national agricultural development agendas. Success in boosting maize yields and its companion field legumes form the basis for greater food security across Africa and value-adding enterprises, including the growth of blended flours and commercial animal production. This chapter describes how these technologies may be most effectively mobilized within the current thrust to transform African agriculture.

**Keywords:** agricultural transformation agenda, Dakar 2 feed Africa summit, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, maize-based cropping systems, rural development, small-scale farming systems, TAAT program, technology packages

### **1. Introduction**

Maize first arrived from the New World in Africa during the 1500s. Portuguese traders supplying fortresses and coastal trading centers first introduced it. Still, the crop quickly appealed to African farmers due to its high yield, low labor requirements, and short growing season. Cultivation swiftly spread because of its higher yield than existing indigenous staples, mostly millet and sorghum, and its ability to function as a substitutable dietary staple [1]. Miracle [2] concluded that the timing when maize became important in different parts of Africa is better understood than the exact introduction sites and parties responsible. In general, maize was first introduced to West Africa, then spread inland and southward, and last reached East Africa and deeper Central Africa.

Maize offered the right combination of traits for widespread adoption. Its nutrients are concentrated and easily transported, husks protect against pests, birds, and

extreme weather, and it is consumable over an extended period starting with young cobs through harvest maturity and longer given proper storage and milling [3]. The appearance of maize and its cultivation practices are like sorghum and millet, further encouraging adoption. Many New World crops were introduced to Africa following the discovery of the New World, including cassava, sweet potato, Irish potato, groundnut, and beans. However, maize had the most rapid and greatest impact on native farming systems, and this impact continues into the present [4].

Maize is now Africa's most important crop. About 30% of energy intake across Africa comes from maize [4]. Erenstein et al. [5] provide a recent description of maize production, consumption, and trade, including its trends in different regions and countries of Africa. Maize is the second most cultivated crop worldwide after wheat. It is grown on about 197 million ha, which supplies 1137 million tons of dry grain. Africa accounts for 21% of that land use cover but only 7.4% of production, signifying strong shortfalls in yield. Average maize grain yields in Africa are only 2.1 t ha<sup>1</sup> compared to 5.8 t ha<sup>1</sup> worldwide and 10.8 t ha<sup>1</sup> in North America, and closing this yield gap is critical to realize African food security and nutrition. Various agronomic and economic factors cause attainable yields not to be met by smallholder farmers, ranging from seed quality, low and variable returns on fertilizer investment, nutrient and water availability, pest control, labor, and equipment assets to gender-specific challenges, value addition, market linkage and selling prices [6, 7]. The role of technology access and adoption on production levels is evident at the level of individual farmer fields and entire regions. For instance, plots closest to the homestead typically receive most inputs and are better weeded than out-fields and therefore record higher yields. East and Southern Africa have a smaller maize growing area than West and Central Africa, yet production is higher, which is primarily ascribed to better varieties, fertilizer supply, and extension support.

To safeguard the production and self-sufficiency of this staple, African governments have adopted policies like subsidizing production inputs and various price protection schemes, some benefiting producers and others designed to assure consumers. Some of these measures have been criticized by development banks as unsustainable, leading to structural adjustments, particularly those that resulted in unrealistic consumer prices and fluctuating supply [4]. Some research suggests that Africa should prioritize policies and programs centered on non-monetary incentives like advancing technology and infrastructure, investing in irrigation, precision agriculture, research services, and human development [8–10]. However, a growing consensus is that maize responds favorably to production inputs, particularly hybrid seeds and fertilizers. Programs encouraging investment into making these materials more available to small-scale producers are a promising pathway to rural development in maize-producing areas [11, 12]. This chapter focuses on the needed maize technologies and how they may be more effectively deployed and delivered through emergent developmental strategies to ensure maize's future in Africa.

The African agricultural development community recently consolidated around the Dakar 2 Feed Africa Summit organized by the African Development Bank and held on 22–27 January 2023. Its purpose was to unlock Africa's agricultural potential by delivering climate-smart agricultural technologies to millions of farmers and creating an enabling environment for market-driven economic development through improved value addition, rural infrastructure, and stronger policy incentives. Thirtyfour (34) African Heads of State, 75 Ministers, and numerous heads of development organizations attended the Summit. They presented and discussed Country Food and Agriculture Delivery Compacts to further the Feed Africa Strategy [11] at national
