South Sudan joins East Africa agriculture research

Agriculture research network       by Mwangi Mumero

South Sudan has joined the 11th member Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in East and Central Africa (Asareca) during its first general assembly that was held in Entebbe, Uganda, recently.

This development signals South Sudan closeness to the East African Community just a few months after its independence in July 2011.

 “South Sudan is lucky because it will get started with the latest and best agricultural technologies as it embarks on developing its economic base,” said Harvard professor Calistous Juma, key speaker at the conference.

Professor Juma added that agriculture is the most viable industry the country can tap into and reap substantially as the new nation is endowed with unfarmed soils and plenty of irrigation water from the Nile.

“It has potential to feed the region and generate more for selling into a food deficit world”.

A young Sudanese researcher studying in Kenya at the Kenyatta University’s department of biotechnology Rashar Omer made history by developing the first drought-resistant maize gene that was unveiled at the conference and named Asareca gene.

The gene is slated for commercialization in 6 years time and has been touted by scientists in the region as a future panacea to food insecurity in the Horn of Africa.
According to Asareca director General Seyfu Katema, 60 per cent of the world’s arable land is in Africa but the continent has failed to mine this potential due to low uptake of technology and poor leadership condemning it to perpetual food shortages.
Experts say African scientists are coming up with continent specific research products while the political leadership that has for long shunned agriculture is beginning to lead from the front.