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Kenyan scientists have planted demonstration plots in the country’s eastern and western regions to showcase the performance of genetically modified (GM) maize varieties in combating insect pests compared to their conventional counterparts. Experts say the demonstrations, which feature TELA maize varieties bred with the  insect-resistant trait, will help create awareness…

Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa will be able to access improved seeds at low cost, thanks to the use of royalty-free genes in genetically modified (GM) crops. The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) negotiated with patent holders to donate certain genes royalty-free for humanitarian purposes, said Dr. Emmanuel Okogbenin, director…

Kenya is reconsidering its 2012 import ban on genetically modified maize as more than 1 million of its citizens require urgent humanitarian food assistance due to prolonged drought. “In the next one or two months, we will have a decision about the future of that ban,’’ said Professor Hamadi Mboga, principal secretary in…

It’s an old proverb in these lands that since man has learned to shoot without missing, birds have learned to fly without perching — and the same is true with farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). As climate change becomes more of a reality, bringing uneven seasons, longer droughts and heavy…

Ghana has rolled out a new initiative focusing on the role biotechnology and biosafety can play in conserving biodiversity and protecting the environment. “Biotech is key to conserving biodiversity,” said Dr. Margaret Karembu, director of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) AfriCenter. Biodiversity essentially refers to…

Kenyan smallholder farmers may soon benefit from a maize variety that can tolerate drought and protect itself against the devastating stem borer and fall armyworm pests. Research is progressing well on the genetically modified (GM) TELA maize, revealed James Karanja, principal investigator of the TELA project. The research outcome will…

Plant pests and diseases are significantly reducing yields of five major food crops across the globe, underscoring the critical need to develop new resistant varieties, according to a new study. Some 137 pathogens and pests cause losses of 10 to 40 percent in the staple crops — wheat, maize (corn),…

As a child, I remember feeling hungry most of the time. Growing up in rural Tanzania, I walked to school barefoot and most of the time had one meal a day. After school, I helped my mother with various farming chores, including feeding the animals, weeding, harvesting and planting. I…

For nearly 20 years, Kenya has attempted to adopt the better-yielding and disease- and drought-tolerant crop varieties bred through genetic engineering. But like the rest of the continent — aside from South Africa and Sudan, which are already growing insect-resistant Bt maize and cotton — it made little tangible headway…