Farmers and agriculture sector leaders have said they expect a new five-year scheme called Rwanda Agricultural Biotechnology Program, to support improvement in crop productivity, by addressing production challenges including pests, diseases, and drought…. The programme runs from October 2024 to October 2029, with more than $9.8 million [in] funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – a US-based organisation. It targets to introduce three biotech or genetically modified (GM) crops for cultivation in the country, the programme initiators indicated.
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The first is a virus-resistant cassava engineered for resistance to Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD), locally commonly known as kabore, a devastating virus that causes a reduction in the yield and quality of the staple food crop. The second is a late blight-resistant potato engineered for resistance to late blight, a fungal-like disease that depresses yields and generates dependence on chemical sprays as farmers try to get yields. The third is a drought-tolerant, stem borer, and fall-armyworm-resistant maize engineered to protect farmers’ harvests from attacks by these pests.
