Kenyan farmers could start cultivating genetically modified potatoes resistant to fungal disease within the next three years according to projections by the National Biosaftey Authority (NBA).
According to NBA bisosafety assessment director Josphat Muchiri, the five months assessment of the blight disease resistant 3R-gene Shangi potato variety developed by the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Organization (KALRO) is nearing completion with public participation set to start before December this year.
“We are currently evaluating an application from the Kenya ALRO on potatoes which have been improved to have resistance to late blight disease. The assessment is ongoing and very soon we will go to the public to pick their views on the variety,” said Muchiri.
Avoiding litigation which has dogged genetically modified maize and cotton, NBA estimates that farmers could begin plating the crop by 2028 and improve potato production in the country which is estimated at 2.1 million tonnes annually.
According to The Cost of Delay report by the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF), release and commercialization of the genetically modified potato variety could would earn the country additional Ksh 31.9 billion within the next three decades.
The report released last year indicate that delays in commercializing BT maize, BT cotton and potatoes cost Kenya a total of Ksh 20.3 billion over a five year period.
“The Ksh 20.3 billion is money we could have used to feed our people,” said Dr Daniel Kyalo, senior manager for policy at AATF. “However, we are dealing with a lot of misinformation. There a lot of myths around GMO and is this myths and misinformation that has led to all these conversation whether the crops are safe.”
Kenya had placed a 10 year ban on GMO trade which was lifted in 2022 allowing for commercialization of BT cotton.
“I started cultivating 3 acres of cotton and by then I used to get 500Kg but when I started cultivating BT cotton variety in 2020, I got 1,442kgs,” said Wilfrida Mubea a cotton farmer from Kituyi.
However, commercialization of BT Maize has faced legal hurdles which according to AATF have cost Kenya Ksh 8.6 billion which is primarily attributed to the increased cost of pesticide use with non-GM crops.
“Two of the cases have been dismissed by the High Court and the Environment and Land Court but we still have other outstanding cases in the Court of Appeal and the High Court in Kisumu,” added Muchiri.
According to AATF, early and full commercialization genetically modified maize, cotton and potatoes could inject additional Ksh 60.7 billion into Kenya’s economy over the next three decades.
