Enhancing Productivity and Market Access for Key Staples in the EAC Region: An Economic Analysis of Biophysical and Market Potential

In this chapter, we show how the current crop areas under three key staples-rice, maize, and beans-could be better aligned with the crop suitabilities that are inherent in the East African Community (EAC) region, through some key policy interventions. We take a multi-market model that was constructed for the 5 main countries in the EAC and use it to demonstrate how reducing transport costs, and increasing crop productivities can lead to market-level welfare improvements, as well as a closer alignment between the areas where the crops are cultivated, and the areas with the best agronomic suitability for those crops. At present, a significant proportion of those staples are grown in areas with limited growth potential, but opening up markets in combination with productivity-focused investments can allow countries to make better use of the crop potential they already have, and take advantage of regional market opportunities.