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30th April 2021
ISSUE NO.39
Welcome to issue 39 of the DrumBeat!

As we all continue to rage war against COVID-19, the DrumBeat team continues to keep you, our esteemed readers, in prayers during these unsettling times. Science offers the most viable tools in fighting the pandemic as evident in the development of COVID-19 vaccines that could prove a game-changer. Crop science too offers additional options in combating crop diseases and pests that have destroyed crops and left farmers desolate and more vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic.

The Video of the Month features struggles of African scientists in the fight against striga weed to ease the labour burden. Led by Prof. Steven Runo, Professor of Molecular Biology at Kenyatta University, the project team aims to address the challenge of parasitic striga weed which is a huge constraint to production of sorghum and other cereal crops. The striga genus has over thirty species distributed over 50 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, causing an estimated 7 billion dollars' worth of crop losses every year.

The Story of the Month, written by a seasoned Ugandan science journalist, paints a grim picture of the hunger situation in Uganda. The country is experiencing serious malnutrition with the latest Global Hunger Index report showing 29% of children aged five years and below are stunted. Adverse climatic conditions are likely to exacerbate the situation unless drastic mitigation measures are taken. The author observes that modern biotechnology offers effective tools for addressing hunger crisis in the country, and calls on Ugandan President to assent to the Biosafety Bill passed by Parliament in 2019.

In this issue, we also share our latest publications which include FAQs about Bt Cotton in Africa, Global Status and Economic Benefits of Biotech Maize Production by 2019 and 2020 ISAAA Accomplishment Report.

We also remind you that the fourth edition of the Africa Biennial Biosciences Communication (ABBC) Symposium is drawing closer. ABBC 2021 will provide a platform for a coalition of the willing to reflect on the progress made so far, and celebrate Africa's gains in agri-biotechnology. Be on the lookout for registration details.

Enjoy your reading!

VIDEO OF THE MONTH

Striga Smart Sorghum Search: Hope for Smallholder Farmers in East Africa

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Michael J. Ssali

Michael J. Ssali
Senior Editor, Daily Monitor

STORY OF THE MONTH
Favorable Crop Biotech Environment Key for a Food Secure Uganda

Uganda is experiencing a serious hunger situation with the latest Global Hunger Index report showing 29% of children aged five years and below are stunted. It is baffling that agriculture is the mainstay of Uganda's economy yet a sizable portion of country's population cannot access nutritious food. Adverse climatic conditions are likely to exacerbate the situation unless drastic mitigation measures are taken. Modern biotechnology offers some of the best tools for addressing hunger crisis in the country.

READ MORE
REGULATOR'S CORNER
Country / Region Crop Modified Trait Date of approval
Turkey Soybean Stacked Herbicide Tolerance February 27, 2021
Turkey Maize Herbicide tolerant February 27, 2021
TOPICAL NEWS ROUNDUP
New genotyping services launched across CGIAR and partners

New genotyping services launched across CGIAR and partners

The Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers (CGIAR) Excellence in Breeding Platform has launched new low-cost, high throughput genotyping services, positioning CGIAR and national breeding programs to take a leap forward in delivering vital crop varieties. The services offer various applications with the potential to accelerate the production of improved varieties and create efficiencies in crop breeding programs. Read more here.


International Livestock Research Institute scientists support Kenyan government to identify SARS-CoV-2 variants

International Livestock Research Institute scientists support Kenyan government to identify SARS-CoV-2 variants

In the Nairobi laboratories of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), scientists continue to contribute to the fight against COVID-19. The experts are set to sequence the entire genome of SARS-CoV-2 circulating in Kenya, and monitor the different variants that emerge in Kenya's population or arrive from outside its borders. Read more here.

PUBLICATIONS
Bt Cotton FAQs
Global Status of Bt Maize
ISAAA 2020 Accomplishment Report