Maize is the primary staple crop in Kenya and plays an important role
in the livelihood of the people of Kenya. Its availability and
abundance determines the level of welfare and food security in the
country. In Kenya, future increases in maize production to meet
domestic demand will have to rely on improvements in yield per hectare
rather than on the expansion of maize production area. Enhanced maize
productivity can be achieved by increased use of modern production
techniques such as the adoption of hybrid maize varieties, the use of
chemicals and fertilizer application. Small-scale maize prodcution
plays a major role in Kenya’s maize economy and adoption of
hybrid technology by small-scale farmers would have the potential to
address sustainability and supply issues. However, such modern
technologies are still rarely used by Kenya’s small-scale
farmers, particularly by those in marginal areas. This study,
therefore, tries to review the reasons for the low rate of adoption of
hybrid maize varieties among small-scale farmers with focus on those
smallholders in Kenya’s marginal areas. Lack of awareness of
existing or newly released hybrid varieties, lack of hybrid varieties
adapted to marginal areas, lack of confidence in the quality of some
hybrid maize seeds, poor access to stockists, low profitability due to
high seed cost, inadequate access to credit, the need for fertilizer
application and low literacy level have been found to be important
factors explaining the low adoption rates by smallholder maize
producers in marginal areas. In addition, these constraints might also
explain the widespread practice of recycling hybrid grain among
small-scale farmers once they have adopted hybrid maize varieties.
Therefore, it is hoped that by overcoming these constraints, the
adoption of hybrid maize varieties among smallholder farmers could be
greatly enhanced, which in turn could lead to a significant positive
impact on the country’s food security situation