Centre for quality seeds launched

Africa’s first plant breeding academy to boost food production was launched in Nairobi, on Monday.

The African Plant Breeding Academy will mainly help farmers obtain seeds and seedlings of ‘orphaned’ crops such as millet, sorghum and cassava.

“The academy seeks to develop highly nutritional food crops which can withstand climate changes, pests and disease,” said Mr Allen Van Deynze, the director of research at UC Davis’ Seed Biotechnology Centre in US, during the launch at the World Agroforestry Centre.

World Agroforestry Centre director general Tony Simons said the centre would help provide farmers in the most malnourished, poorest, rural and the least forested areas in Africa with a chance to use the latest technologies.

Orphan crops are mainly grown for subsistence as they are not commercially viable, hence researchers often neglect them.

Nepad chief executive officer Ibrahim Mayaki said this would help curb food shortages in Africa.

The academy will be based at World Agro-forestry Centre and was launched by the African Orphan Crops Consortium.

The consortium brings together plant breeding firms, development agencies and leading agricultural research institutions.

It’s goal is to use the latest scientific equipment and techniques to genetically sequence traditional African food crops.

Orphan crops are mainly grown for subsistence as they are not commercially viable thereby making researchers neglect them.

The consortium said it would train 250 plant breeders and technicians in genomics and marker-assisted selection for crop improvement over a five-year period to create improved planting materials that will then be offered to smallholder farmers throughout Africa.