Maize variety that cuts fertiliser use by 70pc set for farms in April

A new maize seed variety that requires 70 per cent less fertiliser will be introduced to the market from April in a fresh drive to cut the cost of producing the staple food.

The new variety labelled Nitrogen Use Efficient (NUE) needs less than 20 kilogrammes of fertiliser per hectare against 75 kilogrammes currently required in what looks set to boost production.

“These varieties are nitrogen use efficient, which means they utilise efficiently the small amount of fertiliser that farmers can afford to apply (typically less than 20 kilograms per hectare) compared to varieties currently on the market,” said Michael Olsen, Improved Maize for African Soils project leader.

Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) developed the new maize variety.

Mr Olsen said most small-scale farmers were cutting back on fertiliser use due to the high cost, reducing maize production.

“For the majority of these smallholder farmers, access to inputs like fertilisers to boost soil productivity has been restricted due to their high cost. The reality is that in Africa fertilisers cost up to six times more than in any other continent,” he said.

Kenyan government spends Sh3 billion annually on fertiliser subsidies, which is not enough to meet the needs of all farmers.

The subsidised fertiliser retails at Sh1,800 for a 50-kilogramme bag against the market cost of Sh3,800. Kenya is a maize deficit country and relies on stocks from other regional countries to supplement the available produce in order to meet the annual demand of 48 million bags against a production of 40 million bags.

Maize prices have a big effect on inflation as staple food and accounts for a significant share of poor households’ budget.
Low cost of production is key in the country because it would reduce the cost of maize which would in turn lower the retail price of flour.

Mr Olsen said nearly three quarters — about 70 per cent — of eastern and southern Africa’s maize is grown without fertilisers noting that the new variety would see smallholder harvest increase 25 per cent more.

Scientists at Kalro and CIMMYT made a breakthrough this year in developing a maize seed variety that is resistant to deadly viral disease that saw Kenya suffer losses estimated at Sh4.7 billion last year.