Demand-Driven Technologies for Sustainable Maize ... - IITA

389considérables des potentiels de rentabilité et de rendement des hybridesde maïs et ont indiqué que les agriculteurs pourraient augmenter laproduction en moyenne de 26% s’ils adoptaient toutes les pratiquesde gestion recommandées. De plus, l’adoption des pratiques degestion recommandées couplées avec l’utilisation optimum d’intrants,surtout d’engrais, permettrait aux agriculteurs de réduire les coûts deproduction en moyenne de 39%. L’augmentation des rendementsbaisserait les coûts par unité de production et améliorerait la rentabilitéde la production de maïs. Cela en retour, assurerait l’utilisation durabledes technologies agricoles améliorées. L’éducation, l’approvisionnementen intrants par crédit, et la disponibilité des intrants au moment voulu,sont positivement et signifi cativement liés à l’effi cacité de la productiond’hybride de maïs.IntroductionThe development strategy of the Ethiopian government focuses onagriculture and food security. An economic reform program wasinitiated through a structural adjustment program under the auspicesof the World Bank and IMF. The reforms included the removal ofsubstantial taxation of agriculture, market liberalization, and devaluation(Mulat 1999). Input and product markets have been liberalizedand extension services expanded and re-organized (Techane andMulat 1999; Mulat 1999). Within the framework of the agriculturaldevelopment-led industrialization policy of the government, a newsystem of agricultural extension known as participatory demonstrationand training extension system was launched in 1994/95 to demonstrateto farmers the benefi ts of a package of inputs, notably balancedand higher rates of fertilizer, improved seeds, pesticides and bettercultural practices. Widespread adoption of high yielding varieties ofmajor cereal crops by the majority of resource-poor farmers has beenconsidered a key strategy by the government. Maize (Zea mays L.)is the principal component crop of this strategy. Through the newextension system, the use of fertilizer and improved maize seeds hasincreased considerably over the years (Mulat 1999).There has been a growing concern, however, that the yields ofmajor cereal crops have remained too low to justify the increasingcost of purchased inputs, especially fertilizer. Mulat (1999) arguedthat the average cereal yield increased by only 0.3% per annumbetween 1990 and 1997, and there is no indication that yields havesignifi cantly improved since 1994, in spite of the sharp increase inthe use of fertilizer and other inputs. Unfavorable input-output priceshave undermined the profi tability of using improved technologies.The situation is worsened if farmers fail to exploit the yield potential ofimproved varieties through adoption of optimal management practices