It fails to address the female farmers multiple needs. Differences between farmers motivations, interests and needs in maize technology result from their different life strategies, generated by varied natural environments and socio-economic contexts . A growing number of literature points out that high yield is not the main and only criterion for farmers. Yield stability and risk management are often more important. In contrast, in relatively favourable and intensive farming areas such as Wenteng, where maize is mainly used for animal feed and the market, the farmers main criteria have not been dictated by survival tactics.
Female farmers have their own selection criteria and expertise to maintain preferred varieties .
Over the past 15 years there has been continual release of government-recommended varieties and technologies, such as hybrid maize and plastic mulching packages. Some of these had been tested by the farmers on a small scale but then abandoned. Only a few have been adopted on a large scale for any length of time. In the poorer villages, all of the adopted varieties are improved OPVs and most of them have been improved locally. To fill the gaps between government s limited supply and their multiple needs, female farmers have tried to select and maintain varieties with different characteristics adapted to their complex farming systems and livelihood.