Markets Access, Approaches and Opportunities for Quality Protein Maize Products

Lack of access to nutritious food is an underlying and major cause of child mortality in Africa. Improving the nutritional quality of food crops, through biofortification, would be a useful complementary strategy to other agricultural and public health interventions. Quality Protein Maize (QPM) varieties have been developed through biofortification. Consumption of these varieties leads to greater protein utilisation in adults and children. In Kenya three QPM varieties have been released. In Central Kenya, particularly Kirinyaga district, farmers have come together through Innovation Platform for Technology Adoption ( IPTA) with the aim of production, value addition and marketing of QPM based products. These groups require information on the potential markets for the new QPM based products. The study was therefore conceived with the aim of collecting and providing information about potential market that can be used by farmers in the IPTAs in deciding how QPM based products should be designed, delivered, priced, and marketed. The study used the Rapid Market Appraisal (RMA) approach. Market outlets in Kirinyaga, Embu and Nairobi were first identified through the guidance of staff of the ministries of agriculture, trade, education, health and local authority. The market outlets were classified as retail, wholesale, schools, hospitals, restaurants/hotels and food stores/processors. 60 respondents in the different outlets were interviewed using separate sets of pretested questionnaires in June-July 2009. 17 questionnaires were not fully completed and were not included in the analysis. Data collected was subjected to analysis using SPSS. Although the awareness level about QPM was low (35 % (n=43), there was desire to buy QPM products. 95 % (n=43) expressed the desire to buy products but required samples of the products before making final decision. The potential demand varied from outlet to outlet but on average there was demand of about 0.8 tons per month. Promotional campaigns need to be intensified to create more awareness and increase demand. Farmers groups will also require to meet quality standards as they produce and market QPM products in the various outlets