The poorer segments of our population suffer especially hard. Building on this point, Obure stated that small-scale agriculture plays an important role in the government's poverty eradication and food security plans. Agricultural intensification was the key, he emphasized, but with that comes increased insect pest pressure. A Project with a Purpose A variety of insect pests eat through Kenya's maize crop, but stem borers are among the most pernicious. Once inside a maize stalk, borers are impervious to conventional insecticide applications and cannot be removed by hand.
Some smallholders lose entire fields to the pests.
Several insecticides widely used against borers were pulled off the market due to safety concerns. Over five years, they will use conventional and biotechnological means to develop insect-resistant maize for major Kenyan production systems and insect pests. To develop solutions that are right for Kenya, researchers are gathering baseline data and soliciting input from farmers and other key stakeholders. These baseline data will help researchers assess IRMA's economic impact. The PRAs also provide information on agronomic and consumer characteristics that will help breeders produce varieties tailored to Kenya's agricultural zones.