XINHUA NEWS SERVICE REPORTS FROM THE AFRICAN CONTINENT

.

Crops gene bank to add
new Kenya species

the diversity of plant genetic resources in Kenya has in
the recent past been on the decline due to genetic erosion

SPECIAL REPORT BY XINHUA CORRESPONDENT David Musyoka

NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- At Ndeiya Agriculture Show in Kiambu County, in central Kenya, a group of youth attending the show as part of their training on better farming methods were amazed when they saw red and brown colored maize comb.

Mary Siringi, a scientist working with Kenya Agriculture Research Institute (KARI) was at pains to explain that the maize comb has not been painted but rather it is one of the maize species at the risk of total extinction.

“It is a species of maize that was grown long time ago,” Siringi told Xinhua on Saturday.

Muthoni Nyokabi, a 67-year-old grandmother also took time to explain to the group of the youth that when she was young, all the maize grown by the villagers was red in color. The white maize came in much later.

“I remember during the harvest, in the 1960s and 70s, most of the maize was red, then progressively, the new seeds from the government produced white-colored maize,” said Nyokabi.

The red-colored maize comb is on display as part of the National Gene Bank of Kenya’s showcase of the type of crops genes it preserves at its laboratory at KARI Muguga, one of the institutes located about 40 km west of the capital Nairobi.

“The gene bank was started in 1988 with the intention of preserving the genes that were becoming extinct,” she said.

“We essentially collect materials from farmers and test viability of their value. This gives the capability of that material for instance to be re-multiplied. For materials to be kept in the gene bank, they must have genetic viability status of 85 percent to 100 percent so that they can be productive in future, “ she added.

According to KARI, the diversity of plant genetic resources in Kenya has in the recent past been on the decline due to genetic erosion brought about mainly by desertification, population pressure on land, changes in land use, over-exploitation, drought, floods and negative agricultural development policies.

“Although no comprehensive study has been undertaken to quantify the level of genetic erosion, reports indicated that over the last decade, a lot of genetic erosion has taken place mainly due to replacement of traditional varieties and other socio- economic factors,” noted a KARI report on gene bank.

Initiatives to preserve genetic materials are ongoing across the world driven by the fear that climate change will change the world in the near future.

For instance, successive studies indicated climate change will increase average temperature of Sub-Sahara Africa by 2 degrees centigrade by 2050. As a result, major climatic changes will be experienced leading to loss of some crops.

The crops preserved in the gene banks will therefore be multiplied to create new crop species and re-engineered to adopt to the new climatic conditions.

Farmers and other institutions that require the preserved materials for multiplication or research are given the seeds for free.

“What we advice farmers is that if they want to get harvest of similar species, they have to grow these seeds at least 400 meters from similar crops to avoid cross pollination,” according to the KARI.

According to International Union for Conservation of Nature, there is an estimated total of 7,500 plant species growing naturally in Kenya. Of these, about 475 are national endemics while 258 are threatened.

At the National Gene Bank of Kenya, an estimated 1,725 crop species, from food crops to trees and shrubs, are preserved.

To ensure that the seeds kept are genetically viable, they are tested regularly and those with low viability are taken to the fields where they are grown and multiplied to increase their genetic viability.

But KARI also maintains other gene banks for crops such as cassava and others that cannot be preserved through seeds harvesting.

According to the gene bank’s report submitted to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Kenyan National Plant Genetic Resources Programme was established in 1988. The National Genebank collaborates with a number of institutions and stakeholders but overall coordination among them is weak.

“There is no particular institution or agency charged with the responsibility of coordination. There is need for an authority to coordinate plant genetic resources matters in the country, preferably a National Biodiversity Center,” notes the report. 

.

Dry spells affect Kenya’s
food security: experts

NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- Kenya’s food security has minimally been affected by dry spells after the start of the short rains in October that slowed recovery following timely onset of the October-December short rains, food security experts said in a report published on Friday.

According to Famine Early Warning Systems (FEWS Net), a dry spell hit in late October and early November in parts of the southeastern marginal mixed farming livelihood zone where households have exhausted their stocks.

“Although the onset of the October to December short rains was timely, the amount of rain in most areas tended to be below average. The start was succeeded by a dry spell which started in late October and extended through early November,” FEWS Net said in its November Food Security Outlook Update.

So far, it said the short rains have been poorly distributed both over time and over space in the southeastern marginal agricultural lowlands and in pastoral areas.

The report comes as the government says the country will have sufficient maize to feed its 40 million people until the start of the next planting season in the coming year.

Projections from the East African nation’s ministry of agriculture indicated that the country will have over 37 million 90kg bags of maize as at March 31, 2013 against the required consumption of 22.3 million bags.

The country’s 40 million people consume 3.72 million 90kg bags of maize every month. The number rose from 3.6 million bags months ago.

“Total available stocks by March 31, 2013 will be 37.2 million bags of maize,” said the ministry in the food security report issued on Nov. 1.

The bulk of the maize will come from harvests from crops planted during the long and short rains season and imports from the neighbouring countries.

The East African nation is focusing on sustained growth in agriculture production in terms of environmental conservation and revenue generation.

According to publish on Friday, casual labour opportunities increased from September to October with land preparation and planting in the southeastern and coastal lowlands.   

“However, the increase in casual labor income did not compensate for high maize prices and higher levels of market dependency, leaving some poor households in crisis,” it said.

The report noted that in pastoral livelihood zones, environmental conditions have improved since the start of the October to December short rains, adding that livestock body conditions are fair.

The report says milk production is slowly increasing, and livestock prices area well above their five-year averages. However, high above average maize prices continued to impede households’ food access.

“Continued above average rains in the high potential maize growing areas of western Kenya including around Eldoret and Kitale in the maize belt requires a new assumption that these rains will disrupt the just started October to February harvest and increase pre- and post-harvest losses,” it said.

The East Africa nation says it will begin to engage farmers in order to promote climate smart agricultural technologies which allow them to adapt to the effects of climate change.

The ministry of agriculture says that the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) will supply seeds and planting material of drought tolerant crops for the vulnerable arid and semi arid lands of the country.

The agricultural sector has also embarked on efforts to transform key institutions in the agriculture and livestock industry with the aim to increasing efficiency of service delivery.

Parliament is later this month expected to enact laws that are required to implement key reforms including the national seed policy, national agricultural extension policy and national food and nutrition security policy.

FEWS Net says continued improvements in the availability of pasture, browse, and water are expected to increase livestock productivity across the pastoral areas.

The resultant increased milk availability and enhanced terms of trade are expected to improve household food access leading to better nutritional status.

Meanwhile, the report said the poor rainfall distribution is likely to be beneficial as water- and vector-borne diseases are not expected to be significant.

“While availability of short cycle crops including vegetables is increasing in the southeastern and coastal lowlands, late planting and replanting may delay crop harvests,” it said. 

The report said the start of the October to December short rains was poorer than assumed in October and this leads to a revision of several previous assumptions.   

However, it said the overall deviation from the outcomes from the October to March 2013 Outlook Report may be minimal.

“Whereas it was assumed that the October to December short rains would be average to above average with a timely onset and somewhat uneven distribution over time and space, it is assumed that to the overall total rainfall during the October to December short rains will be near average but with uneven temporal and spatial distribution,” FEWS Net said.