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Abstract
Risk associated with the adoption of new maize technology and the impact of mandatory
cotton production on traditional farmers in the Kasai Oriental Region of Zaire are
evaluated within a portfolio context using a quadratic programming model. Seasonal net
returns for farm plans including four levels of maize technology in combination with staple
food crops are evaluated, with and without mandatory cotton production. The results
indicate that cropping systems that include new maize technology are risk-efficient relative
to local maize varieties while mandatory cotton production is not risk-efficient at the
prevalent price and yield levels in the farming system.