Determinants of maize cultivation in a land-scarce rice-based economy: The case of Bangladesh
2018
Mottaleb, Khondoker Abdul | Kruseman, Gideon | Erenstein, Olaf
Maize (Zea mays L.) use, mostly as poultry and fish feed, has been increasing rapidly in Bangladesh – a densely populated country with a rice-based agri-food system. Domestic maize production has increased despite land scarcity but failed to meet the growing demand, with imports making up the shortfall. The present study contextualizes Bangladesh’s domestic maize production potential and examines the determinants of current maize cultivation using data from 1.12 million farm households. We found maize cultivation to be positively associated with the farm resource endowments (favoring medium and large farms) and a favorable production environment, including the availability of registered seed dealers and land suitable for maize cultivation. Resource constraints still undermined the uptake of commercial maize cultivation by smallholders. Still, there remain good prospects for further expansion of maize production in Bangladesh and increased inclusion of smallholders. This calls for further research and the development of public–private partnerships in a concerted effort to enhance maize’s social inclusiveness and its contribution to the country’s food and nutritional security and overall development.
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