This archive report was first published on 29 September 2019.
On September 29, 2019, seed companies in Kenya were watching the market for genetically modified (GMO) maize demand. The country was on trial with the GMO maize as part of their varieties.
According to George Osure, regional director for Syngenta East Africa, the key market for seed companies is the farmers. They need to accept the GMO maize first before the companies can adopt the technology once the country allows its commercialisation.
Seed companies make profits by selling their commodity in huge markets. However, they require a sizeable number of farmers, not only in Kenya but also in the entire East African market, to recoup production costs.
Without awareness, seed firms faced the risk of suffering huge losses, according to the Seed Trade Association of Kenya (STAK). The association's official, Betty Kosgey, said that seed companies may end up adopting the biotech seed only to be rejected by farmers, leading to heavy losses.
Seed firms want statistics on production cost per unit and data on the nutritional value of the GMO maize after milling to be made available. This move will guide not only the farmers but also the consumers in making decisions.
Once the ban on GMO is lifted, seed firms will be allowed access to the technology, which is owned by Bayer. The Kenya Agriculture Livestock and Research Organisation said the seed will be royalty-free, meaning that seed companies will not have to pay a shilling to access the technology.
