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Target and Spill-over Countries

Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, 1.99 million hectares is planted to maize yielding approximately 3.243 tons per hectare, but with very high variability which increases the risk of seasonal food insecurity. Likewise, the legume area is expanding4 in response to growing export demand for legumes – for example, haricot beans to East Africa, and Sudan. However, less than 25 percent of the maize or legume area is under improved varieties but underdeveloped seed systems are a major constraint.

Uganda

Spillover

Kenya

Of Kenya’s population roughly 80% are involved in agriculture (Kenya National Bureau of Statitics, KNBS, 2017). Approximately 4.8 million households (average household of 7 persons) are smallholders farming on less than two hectares representing 75% of the country’s population

Rwanda

Spillover

Tanzania

Maize cropping systems in Tanzania are characterized by maize mono-cropping (about 30 percent) and intercropping of maize and legumes (about 70 percent). The maize/pigeon pea/beans system is common in the northern and eastern zones while maize/cowpea/ bean system is dominant in Lake and Western zones. Maize/mucuna cover crop system is also practiced in the northern zone.

Zambia

Spillover

Malawi

Maize is the main staple food in Malawi. Over 90 percent of the total cultivated area is planted to maize, mostly by resource poor smallholder farmers. Malawi consumes about 170 kg maize per capita/year which constitutes more than two thirds of the caloric consumption, the highest proportion in the world. 

Zimbabwe

Spillover 

Botswana

Spillover

Mozambique

In Mozambique, as in the other countries, legumes play important roles. Grain legumes, particularly cowpea in the medium to lowlands, are an important source of protein for the country’s smallholder farmers. Soybean is emerging as an important raw material for export and poultry particularly in Central and Northern provinces of Manica and Nampula, where there is a growing demand for feed, particularly for the poultry industry.

  • Ethiopia

    In Ethiopia, 1.99 million hectares is planted to maize yielding approximately 3.243 tons per hectare, but with very high variability which increases the risk of seasonal food insecurity. Likewise, the legume area is expanding4 in response to growing export demand for legumes – for example, haricot beans to East Africa, and Sudan. However, less than 25 percent of the maize or legume area is under improved varieties but underdeveloped seed systems are a major constraint.

  • Uganda

    Spillover

  • Kenya

    Of Kenya’s population roughly 80% are involved in agriculture (Kenya National Bureau of Statitics, KNBS, 2017). Approximately 4.8 million households (average household of 7 persons) are smallholders farming on less than two hectares representing 75% of the country’s population

  • Rwanda

    Spillover

  • Tanzania

    Maize cropping systems in Tanzania are characterized by maize mono-cropping (about 30 percent) and intercropping of maize and legumes (about 70 percent). The maize/pigeon pea/beans system is common in the northern and eastern zones while maize/cowpea/ bean system is dominant in Lake and Western zones. Maize/mucuna cover crop system is also practiced in the northern zone.

  • Zambia

    Spillover

  • Malawi

    Maize is the main staple food in Malawi. Over 90 percent of the total cultivated area is planted to maize, mostly by resource poor smallholder farmers. Malawi consumes about 170 kg maize per capita/year which constitutes more than two thirds of the caloric consumption, the highest proportion in the world. 

  • Zimbabwe

    Spillover 

  • Botswana

    Spillover

  • Mozambique

    In Mozambique, as in the other countries, legumes play important roles. Grain legumes, particularly cowpea in the medium to lowlands, are an important source of protein for the country’s smallholder farmers. Soybean is emerging as an important raw material for export and poultry particularly in Central and Northern provinces of Manica and Nampula, where there is a growing demand for feed, particularly for the poultry industry.

  • Ethiopia

    Country Profile

    SIMLESA is working in Ethiopia , East Africa, because of the country’s large population of approximately 96 million people (World Fact Book, 2015)1 , and high poverty levels2as a result of recurrent famines, aggravated by small farm sizes, frequent droughts and extensive land degradation.

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  • Kenya

    Country Profile

    Forty-six percent of Kenya’s population of approximately 40 million people live below the poverty line. However, there are regional disparities. About 59 percent of the population in the western highlands falls below the poverty line compared to 31 percent in the central highlands. Kenya has 1.6 million hectares of maize with an average yield of 1.8 tons per hectare, and a great need for recently developed stress tolerant varieties because of the heterogeneity of maize and legume production environments, including large areas of low rainfall semi-arid crop land.

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  • Malawi

    Country Profile

    Malawi is heavily dependent on some 1-2 million hectares of maize with average yields (2.6 tons per hectare) that have been boosted recently by strong Government-led support programs. Seasonal variability is high depending on rainfall and fertilizer availability.

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  • Mozambique

    Country Profile

    At the planning stages of the SIMLESA program, Mozambique had a substantial area of maize (1.4 million hectares), producing 1.2 million tons – a very low average yield (0.85 tons per hectare in 2007) with high variability.

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  • Tanzania

    Country Profile

    Agriculture in Tanzania employs 84 percent of the rural population. For many years, agricultural production of smallholder farmers has generally been low, due to low soil fertility, erratic and unreliable rainfall and poor agricultural production techniques. Drought and low soil fertility ranks high among the factors limiting crop production in sub-Saharan Africa. Current climate change and soil mining practices have exacerbated the situation to the extent that yields are now as low as 1-2 tons of maize per hectare and 0.5 tons of pigeon pea per hectare.

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