Let Government tackle maize disease as a priority

Crop scientists in the country issued a stark warning last week that a deadly disease could devastate maize harvests in Rift Valley and parts of Eastern and lead to depleted stocks and possibly, famine.

The re-emergence of this disease is serious vindication of our country’s weak controls because it was first seen in Kenya in 2010 — and was reported to the Ministry of Agriculture, which at the time dismissed it as an isolated case. This ‘isolated case’ is has turned out to be a new variety of an old crop disease that is believed to be spread by plant hoppers.

Where there is an attack, a maize crop stem can be turned into a tangle of wilted and broken stems in a few days. A big percentage of yield losses have been recorded in Rift Valley and parts of Eastern, though fortunately other parts of the country are yet to be affected.

Invisible spores

Because of the complexity of the situation, others believe the strain could present a more devastating disease. There is even speculation that it could be quickly spreading to other parts of the country through wind.

The disease is particularly alarming because it can infect crops in just a few days. Some scientists believe that vast clouds of invisible spores can be carried by wind for several kilometers.

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We are not scientists and for this reason, we cannot tell precisely what the problem is. But from several accounts, some based on interviews with farmers whose crops have been affected we can authoritatively say that indeed we have a big problem on our hands.

It is time for the Ministry of Agriculture and other relevant organisations to discard this lax attitude and reign in the disease, which is becoming a serious threat to our national security.

Some companies that deal with crop diseases worry it will continue travelling to other parts and infect major maize growing areas in the rest of Rift Valley and affect places like Kitale and Webuye, which produce the bulk of the maize that feeds our country.

The common feeling amongst players involved in the fight against the disease is that the Ministry of Agriculture has failed to identify whether the pest responsible for the disease is alien or has been introduced maliciously.

It might look far-fetched, but our country is a major target for terrorist attacks and we should not be quick in ruling out terrorist-related activities. This is why in analysing the situation, our authorities should also consider and possibly investigate any links to bio-terrorism.

This could be an attractive option to terrorists because disruption in the agricultural sector can cause profound effects in our country.

Any direct losses of plants or animals could cause food shortages, rises in food prices, and unemployment. All of these could, if severe, have serious destabilising effects on our social and political structures.

Because it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture to keep a contingency plan to keep alien pests out of the country and eradicate outbreaks when they occur, we believe it is time for the ministry to take appropriate action.

It is a pity that the Government is only showing concern now when widespread harm to crops and disruption of the economy is imminent.

Immense potential

We feel the threat is so serious that plant breeders should be included in the race against time to develop new resistant maize crop strains and if possible, come up with new seeds that should be distributed to farmers across the country in the coming years.

This disease has immense potential for social and human destruction. It is capable of severely damaging our country’s maize stock and throw Kenya into major famine. This is because maize is our staple food.

It is a problem that goes far beyond maize farming in Kenya. Sooner or later it will be found throughout the region if no appropriate measures are taken, and might spread to other parts of the continent.