Abstract
The study assessed farmers' perceptions of factors impairing maize yield in Pind Daden Khan region of Pakistan. Data were collected from randomly selected 125 maize growers from five villages of the region. Investigations revealed that the majority of farmers (59.5%) were aware of recommended maize production, cultural and protection practices, but with a small proportion (33%) of adoptees. The majority of the farmers (80%) perceived that marketing uncertainty was affecting maize yield dramatically. The respondents disclosed that the gap between input application and output profit was creating frustration among the farmers. Temperature was considered as the leading climatic factor causing maize yield decrease in the region. A majority of respondents were aware of time of irrigation at sowing (96%) and postgermination (71.2%); and 91.2% and 55.2% had adopted them, respectively. Almost 50% of respondents adopted the recommended plant protection measures. Land should be given to small farmers on lease with cheaper rates so they can earn good profit and improve their livelihoods. Extension services should be made more effective to provide the information at proper time to the farmers. There is need for a strong policy implementation regarding better marketing and inputs supply by introducing micro-credit loan schemes to maize farmers.