Effect of crop intensification program on maize production in nyagatare, rwanda

This study was conducted in Nyagatare district located in the Eastern Province of Rwanda. Its objective was to assess the effect of the Crop Intensification program (CIP) on maize production in Nyagatare district. Improved seeds, Inorganic fertilizers, Extension services and Land Use Consolidation were the major variables for consideration in this study and assessment was made as to the contribution they made to maize production in CIP in the study area. The study focused on 24 cooperatives with 97 respondents. It used qualitative approaches to generate the opinion of respondents where data was not readily available and also quantitative methods where both primary and secondary data were used. Primary data was collected using questionnaires from random sample of 97 farmers, and it considered the socio-economic characteristics of farmers while Secondary data was collected from different sources, like Ministry of Agriculture, District offices, Agriculture Sector working Group (ASWG) reports , books, reports and internet.. The research used correlation and regression techniques Research findings revealed that youth and educated people’s engagement in agricultural activities is minimal, that Extension services has not influenced maize production significantly and also that men constitute a bigger proportion of the agriculture work force than women creating a gender gap in the sector. Improved seeds influence significantly maize production more than other independent variables in this study.