June 17, 2008
Monsanto to develop drought-tolerant corn variety for Africa
The African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF) and the International Corn and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) have teamed up with biotech giant Monsanto to develop a drought-tolerant corn variety in Africa.
The drought-tolerant corn variety will also be commercially cultivated in the Philippines within four to five years.
Monsanto and CIMMYT will donate unique germplasm and technology expertise to the AATF, the lead group in the said project. Monsanto will also give breeding tools and water-use efficiency genes being developed for commercial global markets.
Drought in Africa has consistently posed a risk for millions of small-scale farmers who rely on rainfall to water their crops. Corn is one of Africa's major crops and more than 300 million Africans also depend on the grain for their staple food.
Dr. Dennis Kyetere, Director General of the National Agricultural Research Organization of Uganda believes this project will help address drought and contribute to food security in Africa.
He said drought causes up to 100 percent crop failure in Uganda in some instances.
The new corn varieties will be hopefully developed within five years, incorporating the best drought-tolerance technologies available internationally. CIMMYT will provide conventionally developed drought tolerant high-yielding corn varieties that are adapted to African conditions and expertise in conventional breeding and testing for drought tolerance.
Monsanto's germplasm and other expertise contributions will be provided without royalty. The national agricultural research systems, farmers' groups, and seed companies participating in the project will contribute their expertise in breeding and regulatory issues and will be responsible for country-specific implementation including project governance, testing, germplasm evaluation, seed production, and distribution.
The new drought-tolerance technologies have already been licensed without charge to AATF so they can be developed, tested, and eventually distributed to African seed companies through AATF without royalty and made available to smallholder farmers.
To ensure safety of the corn varieties, it will undergo strict assessment by national authorities according to the regulatory requirements of the country. According to AATF executive director Mpoko Bokanga, the partnership fits well with the AATF mandate of "facilitating innovative public-private partnerships that bring to smallholder farmers in Africa the tools needed to increase productivity for better food and income security".
Bokanga added that the project will involve local institutions, both public and private, and in the process expand their capacity and experience in crop breeding, biotechnology, and biosafety.
