Production Risk Under Improved Maize Production Systems In The United Republic Of Tanzania

ABSTRACT

Production risk is very important in developing countries, including Tanzania, which result in variance in production that may have severe consequences for a smallholder farmer and his family. The main aim of this study was to assess the determinants of production risk associated with adoption of improved maize seed varieties in order to inform sustainable food security. The specific objectives were to; (i) evaluate factors affecting the adoption and diffusion of improved maize seed varieties in Tanzania (ii) assess the intensity of adopting improved maize seed varieties; and (iii) determine the factors that increase production risk in farming system which use improved maize seed varieties. The Just and Pope framework and Heckman two step procedure were used to estimate adoption, adoption intensity and production risk function respectively with selection bias taken into account. The study used cross section data collected by national panel of survey in 2012/13 from different agro-ecological zones growing maize in the United Republic of Tanzania. The results from the analysis of adoption show that the factors that influenced adoption and diffusion of improved maize seed varieties significantly were farm size (P