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18/05/22

Maize shortage ‘biggest issue in Africa’

Farmer attendending to his maize plantation
Farmer attending to his maize plantation. Copyright: Seth Carnill/CTA ACP-EU, CC BY-SA 2.0

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Maize yields are expected to be drastically lower this season than in previous years in drought-hit Sub-Saharan Africa. While the drop will affect the entire region, Kenya is facing the biggest struggle as one of the region’s largest importers of the staple food.

This week on Africa Science Focus, maize buyers and sellers tell us that prices are already soaring in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. Mario Zappacosta from the Food and Agriculture Organization tells reporter Michael Kaloki why economic sanctions on Russia – the world’s largest exporter of agricultural fertilisers – could impact global maize production.

And, new research reveals that higher carbon dioxide levels could boost maize yields – but bring down the crop’s nutritional value. Tebadi Burgess from South Africa’s Rhodes University tells us why more maize isn’t the only solution to food insecurity.

This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.