The government last month announced its move to relax conditions on the import of genetically modified organisms (GMO) materials for animal feed manufacture.
The Ministry of Agriculture decided to review the framework for the import of yellow maize by lowering the requirement to 99.1 percent GMO-free from 100 percent. This means that imports would be allowed to have traces of genetically modified organisms in a bid to resolve the shortage of feeds. However, the ministry is yet to publish the notice that would make the review operational.
The manufacturers have refused to import the produce under the current total GMO purity requirement for fear that the shipments will be confiscated by Kenyan authorities since it is difficult to find stocks that are free from genetic modification.
