The presentation summarizes the characteristics, trends, and development priorities of the maize mixed farming system in Africa. It discusses key characteristics such as maize being the dominant crop while livelihoods also depend on other crops, livestock, and off-farm work. It also defines nine sub-systems within the maize mixed system and notes trends such as population growth, declining farm sizes, and soil fertility decline posing challenges. The presentation concludes by providing examples of strategic interventions needed across areas like natural resources management, energy, markets, and policies to improve the sustainability and resilience of the maize mixed farming system.

1. The maize mixed farming
system: Highlights of
characteristics, trends and
development priorities
Presented by
Maxwell Mudhara
Beating Hunger Conference, Lilongwe, 14-17 April, 2015

2. Characteristics of the farming system
Define the sub-systems
Trends and drivers
System performance
Examples of strategic interventions
This presentation is based on a chapter in the
African farming systems book (Malcolm Blackie,
John Dixon, Maxwell Mudhara, Paul Thangata,
Joseph Rusike and Sieg Snapp)

4. • Maize mixed. Maize dominates crop area.
Livelihoods also depend on other crops,
livestock and off-farm work.
• Integrated roles of trees, livestock, other
enterprises
• Some market access in most farms.

5. • 150-240 length of growing period – avg 196 gd
• Market access. Medium. Av 7 hours to town.
• Population. 145 m. Rural approx 100 m.
Agricultural approx 90 m. Farm households approx
17 million farm households. Extensive poverty
(more than any other system), household food
insecurity.
• Cultivated land 90 m ha.
• Smallholders manage 90%.
• More than 90% of production is rainfed agriculture.
Only 1.2 m ha irrigated.
• Cattle 29 m; Small ruminants 37 m.
Key characteristics (cont)

6. • There are important patterns that emerge from
variations of landscapes in the system
– Systems -> Sub-systems
• Nine sub-systems in the maize mixed system
– System differentiation
– Grouping of countries (to facilitate planning)
Sub-systems of maize mixed system ...

7. Maize mixed sub-systems

8. Population
Population density is moderately high
Falling farm size and increasing fragmentation
Labour often short
Natural resources and climate
Declining farm sizes not viable under rainfed
conditions
Fertility decline

9. Energy
Manual cultivation techniques mostly used
Weeding is most labour and energy intensive
operation
Can reduced tillage cut the labour requirements
for crop production?

10. Human and social capital
Female dominate
Top-down, extension systems largely promote
‘quick fix’ technical packages
Past messages on high external input use -
often irrelevant.

11. Science and technology
Most farmers use retained seed
Seed supply and affordability are major constraints.
Seeds exchanges take place among farmers.
Trade and markets
Rising input prices and declining maize prices

12. Policies and institutions
Policy changes required for seed and fertiliser
markets to work
There is need to encourage greater participation of
the private sector.
The potential role of smart subsidies re: Malawi
experience.

13. Half (56 per cent) of the farm population can be
rated as extremely poor (daily consumption of less
than US$1.25)
There is quite some variation in performance
within.

14. Productivity
Area expansion (extensification) has underpinned
most past growth in food production.
Fallow land has decreased
Marginal lands are being cultivated

15. Resilience
Soil fertility decline is a major challenge
Diversity of farm enterprises fosters ecological
resilience.

16. • Population – e.g., more rural non-farm jobs opportunities.
• Natural resources – e.g., SLM, CA, Landcare
• Energy – e.g., Natural regeneration, community woodlots
and agroforestry. Labour saving technologies
• Human capital/knowledge – e.g., farm women’s knowledge
• Technology and science – e.g., systems research
• Markets and trade – e.g., agribusiness
• Institutions and policies – e.g., cross border trade, land
tenure, pvt sector participation
Strategic interventions (Examples)

17. Thank
you!