Mapping and Comparison of Maize Products Value Chains in Nigeria and Rwanda

Abstract

Maize products are very significant for domestic consumption as well as industrial uses both locally and globally. For there to truly appreciate the spread of maize production in Africa, the geospatial mapping and subsequent comparison of the value chain for Nigeria and Rwanda were necessitated hence the purpose of this study. Farm mapping geospatial techniques and remotely sensed data were used for both Nigeria and Rwanda in this study. GIMMS Global Agricultural Monitoring data from United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) were adopted for Nigeria and Rwanda. The crop calendars of both countries were examined which thereafter reviewed a marked distinction among them. The results of the agroecological zones for the two countries showed a significant variation in their distribution and types, which in turn affect both the planting and harvesting of maize; storage, marketing, processing, and policy framework for maize products value chain in Nigeria and Rwanda. Mapping of the two countries was carried out and the normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI) and the policy associated with maize value chains were checked and reported.