Could African farmers double maize yield by using hybrid, GMO seeds?

DuPont Co.’s Pioneer unit. . . said farmers of the grain on the continent could more than double productivity over the next few decades if they switched to hybrid seed.

The continent currently has about 35 million hectares (86.5 million acres) planted with corn, yielding under 2 metric tons per hectare, Prabdeep Bajwa, the African regional business director for Pioneer, said . . . Productivity could rise to an average of between 5 and 7 tons per hectare if farmers used the right seed, he said. The amount of land under corn is unlikely to increase, he said.

“We see great opportunity to bring that maize seed, tested locally, adopted locally, and just tremendous opportunity to improve productivity,” he said. . . .

. . . .

Related on the SLP

How European-Based NGOs Block Crop Biotechnology Adoption In Africa The GMO-seed sovereignty debate comes to Nigeria

Abortion rights opponents outraged after FDA says its “safety review” of the already-found-safe mifepristone abortion pill will continue into 2027

GAHA: The corporate-created “healthier America” movement challenging what it claims is MAHA misinformation about modern farming, chemicals, and food

9 wellness myths busted

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: DuPont’s Bajwa Says Africa Could More Than Double Corn Yields