Disease

Kenyan Corn-Disease Outbreak

An outbreak of Maize Lethal Necrosis Disease in Kenya may reduce corn production by almost a third this year as yields fall and growers abandon the grain for other crops.

As many as 70 percent of farmers of the staple food in the main growing regions may have been affected by the virus. All of the corn varieties grown in Kenya are susceptible to the disease.

Kenya expects a 30 percent reduction in production. Control methods like burning, cutting achieve little. The only solution is to develop resistant varieties.