Cover_Rebuilding West Africas Food Potential

Chapter 14. An analysis of Maize value chain and competitiveness in BurkinaFaso 457

Figure 4. Cereal production patterns in x1000 tons in Burkina Faso

Source: FAOSTAT 2012

Figure 5. Cereal yields patterns (tons/ha) in Burkina Faso

Source: FAOSTAT 2012

Cereal yields have shown no noticeable upward trend hovering around 1.5 tons per ha As a result
production increases has occurred mostly through acreage expansion which continue indefinitely.

3.2 Input markets

Modern inputs are not extensively employed directly in maize production because of a lack of access
to inputs and because there are almost no viable contract farming schemes.

Resolving the perennial credit constraint

Badly-functioning input and credit markets result from high transaction costs, repayment and
enforcement problems because of asymmetric information and low technical support; Lack of
collateral from smallholders, high monitoring costs and informational problems make individual credit
contracts unaffordable. This open the door for alternative second-best type agreements such as those

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

2,000

19951996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Maize Millet Sorghum

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Maize Millet Sorghum