Nairobi — A new study released on recently developed drought-tolerant maize varieties says that widespread adoption could boost harvests in 13 African countries by 10 to 34 per cent.

It also found out that this could generate up to Sh120 billion in benefits for producers and consumers.

The study provides good news in the midst of fears that as climate change intensifies, drought conditions in Africa could spark a new cycle of crippling food shortages.

Race is on to replace existing varieties amid concerns that weather change is likely to intensify droughts and significantly depress maize harvests in sub-Saharan Africa.

Get these new varieties

According to Mr Roberto La Rovere, a socio-economist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center CIMMYT) and lead author of the study, there is need to move deliberately but with urgency to get these new varieties from breeders to farmers because their potential to avert crises is considerable.

"Our analysis shows that with high rates of adoption, more than four million producers and consumers would see their poverty levels drop significantly by 2016," he said.

Researchers have worked with national agriculture research centres in Africa to develop over 50 new maize varieties that in drought conditions can produce yields that are 20 to 50 per cent higher than existing types.

The study was conducted as part of the Drought Tolerant Maize for Africa Initiative with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.

Analysis of the benefits of conventional drought-tolerant maize for Africa examined the potential impact in Angola, Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Moreover, the researchers estimate that if drought-tolerant maize completely replaced existing varieties in the countries studied, the benefits are enormous.

Based on the survey, farmers and consumers in Kenya, Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe would see the greatest benefits, the authors note, because maize dominates local diets and livelihoods.

It noted that farmers in these countries have a history of rapidly adopting improved varieties.

"The goal now is to make drought-tolerant maize easily available to millions of smallholder growers in countries where droughts, which always lurk as a perennial threat to food production, are expected to become more common and more severe," said the group.

"Maize is life for 300 million people in Africa, and as climatic conditions deteriorate, it is up to researchers in cooperation with governments, seed companies and farmers to ensure that maize production does not collapse," it added.

The study examined past trends in adoption of improved maize types.