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Scientists Warn of Global Food Shortages Likely Caused By Wheat Disease

Posted on: Friday, 9 September 2005, 09:00 CDT

Scientists warn of global food shortages likely caused by wheat disease

NAIROBI, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- Scientists warned here Thursday that a new strain of one of the most dangerous pathogens of wheat, will almost certainly spread to the rest of the wheat-growing world with potential to create a global food security crisis.

Addressing a news conference in Nairobi, the scientists warned that the disease called Ug99 which also surfaced in Kenya in 2001 and Ethiopia in 2003 has potential to spread to other countries and cause serious consequences.

"It is only a matter of time until Ug99 reaches across the Saudi Arabian peninsula and into Middle East, South Asia and eventual, East Asia and the Americas," scientist Ronnie Coffman told reporters in Nairobi.

Romano Kiome from Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, said the Ug99 is having devastating effects in Uganda where it was first originated in 1999, Kenya, and Ethiopia.

"We do not have resistant commercial variety in Kenya. The disease is a threat to wheat production here. The threat is very serious and very real," said Kiome.

The disease is caused by a fungus that spreads its spores on the world's wind currents. Previous less dangerous strains of rust have spread from eastern Africa all the way to China.

The rust spores can also be transported on the clothes and luggage of travelers who have been in areas where the fungus is prevalent.

The experts were releasing their findings and recommendations on the just completed study to evaluate the threat of the new wheat stem rust variant in eastern Africa.

They said the resistance in eastern Africa has been overcome by a new physiological race of the disease.

Wheat is one of the most important food crops in the world, especially the developing world.

Experts warned that any disruption in supply could have serious consequences in countries like Pakistan where wheat accounts for 60 percent of the calories and more than 40 percent of the protein in the average, daily diet.

"For once, Africa can help the rest of the world. There is time to make a difference. This is a chance we cannot afford to miss," said Marianne Banzinger from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT).

"We have to stop this disease from spreading to other countries, otherwise, we will see catastrophe. Eastern Africa needs 3 million US dollars to stop it. Collaboration between countries is the best way to fight the disease," said Masa Iwanaga, CIMMYT Director General.

According to Kiome, Kenyan small scale farmers have lost over 50 percent of the wheat crop due to the Ug99.

The experts warned that the loss of just a tenth of the global wheat supply would reduce the wheat harvest by 60 million tons, worth more than 9 billion US dollars. And they have made ten key recommendations in a report for action necessary to prevent a potential global food catastrophe.

Source: Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

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