“How much income might farmers gain if Bt maize were released for commercial planting in the COMESA/ASARECA region? Bt maize gives farmers a more effective and less costly way to control damage from certain categories of insects, including the stalk borers that frequently
damage maize crops in Africa. Approval of Bt maize for commercial planting might therefore save some of Africa’s maize crop from stalk borer damage and provide Africa’s maize farmers with higher levels of income. Governments in the region considering whether or not to approve Bt
maize for commercial planting might wish to know the likely magnitude of these anticipated farm income gains. This report estimates the farm income gains that might be expected from planting Bt maize for six countries in the region: Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
The projected income gains are found to be significant, although in most cases not highly dramatic.”
