Economics of Striga Control in Kenya

Kenya, like many other sub-Saharan countries faces challenges of reducing hunger and poverty. Although agriculture remains the mainstay of the economy, the sector s growth has fallen behind population growth. Striga weed has been identified as one of the major constraints to increased cereal production where losses of up to 100% have been reported in Western Kenya. A new technology involving the use of herbicide coated seed provides a solution to the Striga problem. However, the success of the technology will depend on farmers acceptability. An ex-ante analysis offers a method through which researchers get feedback from the end users of a technology which they can use to refine the final product so as to increase probability of adoption. This book therefore provides a framework through which the potential of a new technology can be analyzed prior to its release. Three aspects are considered: profitability, farmers perception of the extent of the Striga problem and farmers evaluation of the new technology. The analysis should be useful for researchers who are developing new technologies that target resource poor farmers.