Kenyan scientists are working towards the launch of drought-resistant and pest-tolerant maize varieties as part of efforts to boost food security and reduce the impact of climate change on agriculture, senior officials said here on Tuesday.
Kenyan Agriculture Ministry’s Permanent Secretary Romano Kiome, said the large-scale consumption of the genetically modified organism (GMO) could begin within the next three years after the formal approval of the first set of GM crops.
"Climate change is a challenge.
"It is leading to increased temperatures.
"We expect more crop diseases as a result of climate change.
"We have strengthened our research on climate change," Kiome told Xinhua.
Speaking on the sidelines of an international conference on agricultural extension services, which gathered 400 experts to discuss ways of boosting food production, Kiome said more extension services were critical for the survival of rural agriculture in Africa.
Kenyan agricultural policymakers weathered a public storm earlier this year, when the government announced the approvals for the importation of genetically-modified maize from South Africa to deal with a national famine.
The authorities gazetted the National Biosafety Act, which requires all importers of genetically modified crops to label the imports clearly amid complaints that the country lacked the scientific knowledge to vet the GMO crops for possible health risks.
Kenya has the scientific capacity to commercialize the GMOs, but the authorities admit a shortage of trained scientists to vet these crops for possible health effects might persist.
"The instruments for Biosafety to operate in this country are there.
"We will call other experts from outside to help us commercialize the drought-tolerant and pest-resistant maize," Kiome said.
Kenya’s agriculture is mainly rain-fed and is entirely dependent on the bimodal rainfall in most parts of the country.
A large proportion of the country, accounting for more than 80 percent, is semi-arid and arid with an annual rainfall average of 400 mm.
Droughts are frequent and crops fail in one out of every three seasons.
The conference is discussing ways of tackling hunger, providing nutritious diets and at affordable prices, and dealing with the problem of farming in urban areas.
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