Uganda will start its mock trials on a drought resistant maize variety at Mubuku irrigation scheme in Kasese District in January. Dr Yona Baguma, senior research scientist at Namulonge Crops Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) said they expect to do their first-ever drought resistant maize Confined Field Trials (CFTs) in January. The aim of the trial will be to check the compliance of the crop, Dr Baguma said.

CFTs are studies that are made by scientists to collect data on any new varieties developed at research stations within the country or outside.

"We plan to begin with conventional maize as we wait for the approval of the (genetically-modified maize) permit by the National Biosafety Committee," the researcher told a CFT-Water Efficient Maize (WEMA) project annual review and planning meeting held in Kasese last week.

"If all goes as planned, we expect to do the importation of the transgenic seed in April and do planting in May and June," he explained. He noted that in case of failing to acquire a permit in time, they would consider planting the transgenic seed in November. The scientist said that similar trials in the second phase will be conducted in Sembabule, Bullisa, Nakasongola and Abim districts.

Dr Asea, also, the head of the cereals programme at Namulonge, says the initiative will combine conventional breeding and biotechnology to develop drought-tolerant maize varieties that will eventually be made available, royalty-free, to small-scale farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. He says the new variety is expected to increase yields by 20-35 per cent over current varieties under drought conditions. He says the expected increase in yields will mean an additional two million metric tonnes to feed about 21 million people during drought years.

According to Dr Asea, most of the technicalities such as environment assessments, soil and water analysis have been done at the CFT site to clear way for the project. The development, however, comes when districts that lay along the cattle corridor and the rift valley are prone to severe drought. It is estimated that for over five years now, Ugandan farmers have been registering a total loss of 80 per cent due to crop failure due to frequent drought.

The magnitude of the problem is currently felt by farmers in Kasese, where acres of maize have dried up due to rainfall failure. Drought has also caused severe famine experienced in Eastern, North-Eastern and Northern Uganda causing several deaths and suffering.

Africa is a drought-prone continent, making farming risky for millions of small-scale farmers who rely on rainfall to water their crops. Maize is the most widely grown staple crop in Africa - more than 300 million Africans depend on it as their main food source - and it is severely affected by frequent drought. Drought leads to crop failure, hunger, and poverty.

Scientists, predict that the situation would worsen as the climate change.

Dr Theresa Sengooba, regional coordinator of Programme for Biosafety System (PBS), says there's a need to breed early maturing crops or introduce drought tolerant crops so as double the country's production.