Effects of Agricultural Policy Change on Maize Supply in Developing Countries: A Comparative Study of Kenya and Zambia (original) (raw)

The impact of agricultural market liberalization on maize output in Kenya and Zambia and its effect on food security in these countries is evaluated in this paper. The findings suggest a weak policy influence on maize output, but the precipitation and acreage variables stand out as core determinants of maize output. Overall, the obtained results, agricultural markets in general, and the maize sub-sector in particular, responded more positively to implemented policies in Kenya, than in Zambia. Pre-existing economic structures would have contributed to the outcome. Effective policy implementation would have to be tailored to meet regional needs and local conditions. Region and sector dynamics were not considered when formulating and implementing structural adjustment policies in the 1980s. It can be inferred from the study that countries with strong economic institutions performed better than those which had weak ones.