By Duncan Mboyah
Kenya on Friday placed a newspaper notice asking the public to give their views before releasing Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) maize variety for open field cultivation a senior official reveal.
Nehemiah Ngetich, the acting Chief Executive Officer of the National Biosafety Authority (NBA), says that members of the public are invited to submit their comments in writing within 30 days of the notice.
Ngetich says that the authority has received an application for open field cultivation, and placing on the market of GMO maize variety that is commonly known as Bt maize (MON 89034) from the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) and the African Agricultural Technology Foundation (AATF).
“Before making a decision on the application, the authority now seeks public inputs on the proposed open cultivation and placement on the market of Bt maize varieties in Kenya,” Ngetich says in a statement released in Nairobi.
Ngetich adds that the notice is also available on its website www.biosafetykenya.go.ke and also includes the summary of the Bt maize application, guidelines on public participation, and the public participation form for submitting their comments.
He however notes that members of the public who are unable to access the notice online are free to physically walk to the NBA offices during normal working hours.
The official notes that the authority is currently assessing the Bt maize variety to ensure that it is safe for human and animal consumption as well as being safe to the environment in accordance with Kenya’s Biosafety Act of 2009.
He reveals that the safety assessment process is being undertaken in collaboration with other government agencies and biosafety experts to ensure that the Bt maize is as safe as other cultivated non-GMO maize varieties grown by farmers.
Ngetich adds that additional evaluations on socio-economic impact assessments related to the Bt maize varieties are being undertaken.
He further says that if the authority approves the environmental release and open cultivation of this Bt maize variety, a further testing shall be conducted to assess its agronomic performance under different agro-ecological maize growing zones in Kenya, in accordance with the Seeds and Plant Varieties Act, which dictates that all new crops undergo mandatory variety testing in National Performance Trials (NPTs) before farmers can grow them.
“If approved, the authority shall also undertake post-commercialization monitoring of the Bt maize variety for the entire duration of the approval period to ensure compliance to biosafety laws,” he add.
According to KALRO and AATF, the Bt maize variety has been developed using modern biotechnology methods to protect itself against specific pests such as the maize stem borers and fall armyworms, which are devastating pests in maize fields.
They notes that farmers can expect less damage to their maize crop, which may lead to increased yields and better grain quality.
The two agricultural research organizations indicates that the variety could also lower production costs and reduce risks to health and the environment by using fewer insecticides used for pest management.
NBA is the state agency that supervises and controls the transfer, handling and use of GMOs with a view to ensuring safety of human and animal health and provision of adequate protection of the environment.
Enditem