Maize breeders in eastern and southern Africa are getting impatient on the release of new maize varieties that are improved to resist drought, pests and diseases. Maize breeding itself takes a long time to finish, and the added time for it to pass the regulatory approval takes a few more years. Sometimes a variety is approved for release to the farmers 5 years after it is developed. The Maize Breeders Network (MBNet), composed of plant breeders from national research institutes and leading universities in eastern and southern Africa, in their recent meeting, discussed strategies to develop and distribute seeds suitable for local environments across Africa, and to encourage the development of government policies that support these efforts.

The Maize Breeders Network statement calls upon African governments to:

• Facilitate the approval of new seed varieties without sacrificing the legitimate interests of farmers and consumers;
• Streamline and strengthen the process of data collection and analysis by regulators, that have a tendency to slow varietal release; and
• Hasten cross-border sharing and testing of maize germplasm among national regulatory agencies within the region

Maize is the most important cereal crop in sub-Saharan Africa, and the speedy release of improved corn varieties can contribute to the quick turn around of Africa's food crisis situation. Breeders and farmers are ready to develop crops that will deal with the looming climate change and drought crisis. For details, check the press release at: http://www.agra-alliance.org/news/pr100507.html.