Nairobi — The proposed green revolution for Africa's agriculture faces numerous challenges that may take decades to tackle, according to a researcher, Dr Norman Borlaug.

Borlaug, who is credited with changing the face of agriculture in Asia in the early 60s, says African farmers are the most marginalised lot in the world today.

Borlaug, a Nobel laureate and the father of Green Revolution in Asia, says illiteracy, poor infrastructure and low use of fertiliser are key factors that have lowered crop production in Africa.

"Lack of infrastructure is killing Africa as kilometres of paved roads per million people remain extremely low," he said. Speaking during an international agricultural conference in Nairobi yesterday, Borlaug said while there was 20,987kms of paved road for every one million people in USA, there was only 59kms for similar number of people in DRC Congo.

The poor infrastructure in Africa, he said, has made transportation of agricultural products to markets very difficult in most countries.

The laureate also pointed out that there were 146 million illiterate adults in the continent, most of them women.

This, he said, meant that modern technology in agriculture could not easily be adopted.

Borlaug remarks now cast doubts whether the G8 countries' green revolution for Africa project would ever be a reality.

The G8 countries that comprise the eight richest countries led by the US have promised to fund a multibillion-shilling programme under the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD).

Kenya's agriculture minister Kipruto arap Kirwa said the continent remained hunger stricken despite the huge agricultural potential.

"Average maize production in Asia has risen by three tonnes per hectare, but sub-Saharan Africa is currently producing only one tonne per hectare," he says.

The conference funded by the Rockefeller Foundation brings together researchers and other agricultural experts from the continent to map out the way forward for agricultural development. Among the issues to be discussed is the controversial genetically modified organisms (GMO) technology that has pitted the US against the European Union (EU).

While US has emerged as the global campaigner for GM foods, the EU has adamantly refused to embrace GMOS.