agricultural productivity Archives

Cassava farmers in Kenya are set to reap more yields and earn higher profits from their crops as the East African country prepares for the rollout of a genetically modified (GM) cassava variety that can fight off two of the most devastating diseases affecting the crop in the region. The government’s approval in June for environmental release to conduct National Performance Trials (NPT) for cassava varieties offering disease-resistant traits marks the penultimate stage before the superior variety is finally released to farmers. Free seed material is just one of the many benefits that lie ahead for cassava farmers in the country once the improved crop is approved for release to farmers. “This cassava will be free to the small-scale farmers,” said Dr Catherine Taracha, Director of Biotechnolo...

By Joseph Maina South Africa has reaped significant gains through genetically modified (GM) white maize in the past two decades, with significant gains recorded in the welfare of smallholder farmers who depend on the crop. The successful cultivation of the crop has led to improved food security and pits South Africa as a continental success story in plant biotechnology, given that it was the first GM subsistence crop producer in the world following its adoption of the cultivar in 2001-2002. South Africa’s total welfare benefits attributable to GM white maize between 2001–2018 amount to $694.7 million, notes a study conducted by a combined team from University of Arkansas and Kansas State University in USA, Agricultural Research Council, South Africa, and Ghent University, Belgium. White m...

Tag: agricultural productivity

GM cassava promises higher yields and profits for Kenyan farmers

South Africa has reaped significant gains through genetically modified white maize