CERTAIN. 

 MARKETS. 



YIELDS. 



return, and unless the new comer is furnished with 

 ample capital, he will find it a distinct advantage to 

 start off with maize, gradually planting up with 

 coffee or citrus as he is able to increase the amount 

 of land broken up, even when the ultimate intention 

 is to raise coffee or citrus. 



Although at the present time the whole of Africa 

 produces only about one per cent, of the world's 

 output of maize, and of this East Africa contributes, 

 but a small proportion, the areas available for maize 

 in the Highlands — without including doubtful land 

 — are sufficiently large to give East Africa a position: 

 of importance in the maize markets of the future. 

 No export trade worth mentioning has been done up- 

 to the present, and, in view of the immense local 

 consumption (maize iDeing the staple food of the bulk 

 of the native population) the surplus available for 

 export in the immediate future is not likely to run 

 to very big figures. But the prospects ahead of maize 

 cultivation in B.E.A. are immense, nevertheless. 

 There are hundreds of thousands of acres capable of 

 producing heavy crops. The cost of production is- 

 low — ^probably less than in any other part of the 

 world. The local market is in itself sufficient to 

 absorb a large proportion of the output, and, given 

 proper export facilities such as are enjoyed by other 

 maize countries, the overseas markets available for 

 the surplus represent a demand that should guarantee 

 a profit to the producer. At the present time the 

 Nakuru district is responsible for the bulk of the 

 maize produced in East Africa, buu the amount of 

 land devoted to it in other districts is being steadily^ 

 increased. 



On the question of yield it has been stated that 

 the average is about eleven bags. This, let it be 

 clearly stated, should be read as a conservative 

 estimate. There are parts where an average of 15 

 bags over large areas is claimed, and the writer has 

 heard of much larger yields over small acreages, but 

 he prefers to confine himself to a statement that will 

 bear the closest investigation, and leave a margin, 

 rather than inspire unfounded optimism. Eleven, 

 bags to the acre, with the cost of production as low 

 as it is, give a sufficient financial return to make 

 maize highly profitable, and should go far toward 

 making East Africa better known on overseas^ 

 markets. 



12 



J. Browne. 



