Baseline Study of Striga Control using IR Maize in Western Kenya

SummaryThis report presents the results of the baseline study undertaken to assess the status of Strigadamage, the general livelihoods and livelihood strategies of the rural poor in western Kenya.A stratified random sampling method led to the selection of 8 districts, 16 sub-locations, 32villages and 800 households. A combination of techniques for data collection was used,including literature review, GPS recordings, focus group discussions and interview ofindividual households. Various econometric models were also developed and estimated fordata analyses. A stochastic frontier production function was used to measure the technicalefficiency of maize production. A logistic regression model of poverty was estimated toexamine the determinants and correlates of poverty in western Kenya.The study revealed that households are small in size and the dependency ratio is high. Therewere about 26% of households headed by females. The level of education is low for the headsof households and all members of farm families. Households are endowed with a multitude ofassets for their livelihoods. However, the level of assets was found to be low or of very poorquality. Maize is the major food crop and a source of cash income. Farmers grow both localand improved (hybrid) maize varieties, but the productivity is low. There is a considerablegap between potential and actual maize yields. Major factors constraining crop productioninclude Striga infestation on maize, low soil fertility, drought and erratic rainfall. Striga is themajor threat to livelihoods of smallholders and its economic importance has increased overthe past three decades. Traditional methods of Striga control include uprooting, burning andmanuring, which have proved to be ineffective. Alternative technologies exist but they havenot been adopted and used as they should because the level of awareness is very low.Analysis of the determinants of poverty revealed that the poverty status of a household inwestern Kenya is significantly related to Striga damage, Striga control, dependency ratio,age, education, technology adoption, land per capita, farm assets, off-farm work, cash cropproduction, and location.More than 70% of the sampled households experience food shortage lasting as long as fivemonths every year. Coping strategies include off-farm short-term jobs, disposal of assets, andinformal safety nets especially through remittances received from relatives. Theanthropometric Z scores calculated on children indicate that about 30% were wasting, 50%were underweight and 48% were stunted. Similarly, the results on body mass index (BMI) onwomen showed that 36% were underweight while 18% were overweight.One of the possible strategies to reduce poverty and vulnerability is to increase the efficiencyin maize production. Considerable variation in maize production efficiency was found amongthe sample maize farmers. The results point to the possibility of increasing maize productionthrough improved efficiency and best local practices adopted by the most efficient farmers inthe sample, such as integrated Striga control. While technical efficiency increases witheducational attainment, it has a significant non-linear relationship with farm size where it firstincreases but eventually declines with farm size. The direct farm size-efficiency relationshipfor smaller holdings coupled with the fact that most farmers in western Kenya cultivate tinyplots of land suggests that re-allocation of more land to maize would enhance farmerefficiency. Increased efficiency could be achieved through, for instance, more optimalapplication of inputs and greater intensity of adoption of improved maize varieties. Therefore,efforts must be made to enhance adoption of both hybrid maize and Striga controltechnologies to help increase maize production. Maize yields in Kenya have continued todecline despite increased use of new maize varieties, largely due to lack of effective Striga6