This archive report was first published on 26 November 2019.
Kenya's maize yields have been a subject of concern for years, with the country struggling to match the production levels of its African counterparts. However, a recent report by The African Seed Access Index (TASAI) suggests that improved seeds could be the key to boosting Kenya's maize yields.
According to the report, Egypt leads the continent in maize production with a yield of 7.7 tonnes per hectare, followed closely by South Africa with 6.4 tonnes per hectare. Ethiopia ranks third with a yield of 3.7 tonnes per hectare, while Uganda and Malawi produce an average of 2.5 and 2.0 tonnes per hectare, respectively.
Kenya, on the other hand, has a yield of 1.5 tonnes per hectare, which is significantly lower than the continent's leading producers. However, the country has made significant strides in releasing improved maize seeds, with about 98 varieties released by 2017.
Despite these efforts, smallholder farmers in Kenya have been slow to adopt improved seeds, citing quality, affordability, accessibility, and competitive seed systems as major challenges. The low number of breeders in most African countries, including Kenya, has also been identified as a major obstacle to improving maize yields.
Mr. Mainza Mugoya, Programme Coordinator at TASAI, emphasized the importance of breeding in responding to farming challenges, climate change, low yields, and diseases. He noted that improved seeds are resistant to pests and diseases, adapt well to climate change, and have improved nutritional value and longer shelf life.
Mr. Mugoya was speaking during the recent Kenya Science Journalists Congress in Mombasa, where he presented a paper titled African Seed Access Index. The congress, organized by the Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (Mesha), brought together science journalists and experts from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Malawi.
Kenya's maize production has been affected by the deadly fall armyworm, which has ravaged crops in the country's food basket of South Rift Valley. However, with improved seeds and a more robust seed system, Kenya could potentially match the maize yields of its African counterparts.
