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Tanzania to conduct field-trials of GM cotton
Nairobi, Kenya
March 31, 2005

Source: All Africa via Checkbiotech

Tanzania has joined Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Burkina Faso and Kenya in conducting confined field trials (CFT) for genetically modified crops that will eventually open its doors to genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

A Cabinet paper on GMO policy has already been prepared and parliament is scheduled to debate and approve the approach towards GMO technologies mid this year, according to Dr Jeremiah Haki, Director of Research at the Ministry of Agricultural and Food Security.

Dr Haki says Tanzania, which largely depends on agriculture, cannot afford to ignore technologies that increase crop yields and profits and reduce farm costs.

Wilfred Ngirwa, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, issued a statement two weeks ago saying the ministry has, "Proactively participated in the development of a national policy for biotechnology that will soon be tabled in the parliament."

"This policy will give overall guidance on all issues related to biotechnology including priority areas for research and development, regulatory framework, sustainable use of biodiversity and resource requirements."

Mr Ngirwa said in the interim period, the ministry has established the Agricultural Biotechnology Scientific Advisory Committee (ABSAC) to advise the minister on issues related to GMOs including their importation, safe handling and testing.

Should there be an urgent need to import or test a GMO in this country before the coming into force of the requisite legislation, ABSAC may be called on to advise accordingly," said Mr Ngirwa adding, "The ministry has however not yet decided on the importation of genetically engineered crops for testing in the country.

Tanzania will start confined field trials (CFT) in the south of the country where cotton farming was stopped in 1968 in a government move to halt the spread of the redball worm disease that had hit the cotton crop. The project has been well received by cotton farmers and depending on its outcome, GM cassava will be introduced next.

The CFTs in southern Tanzania are good news for Members of Parliament from the southern highlands, who have been calling on the government to find alternative means of restarting cotton production in the region.

South Africa is the only African country that is already commercially producing GM crops.

Tanzania is among the countries that ratified the Cartagena Protocol on biosafety, an international law negotiated under the Convention on Biological Diversity that has basic requirements for member countries to comply when pursuing GMO.

Dr Sivramiah Shanthu Shanth-aram, a Member of the WHO/FAO Consultative Committee on Biotechnology-Food Safety, was in Arusha, Tanzania in February for a seminar on GMO technology for East African plant inspectors.

The seminar was attended by senior phytosanitary inspectors from the Phytosanitary Services and Commission for Science and Technology of Uganda's Ministry of Agriculture and from the Kenya Plant Heath Services and Commission for Science and Technology.

The objective of the workshop was to familiarise phytosanitary inspectors with the principles and procedures of compliance and inspection required for the execution of safe CFTs of GM crops, as well as to enhance the participants' understanding of concepts and issues associated with modern agrobiotechnology. The Kenyan and Ugandan participants said they were impressed with Tanzania's biosafety structure.

Dr Shantharam said the time was ripe for East Africa to start GMO related experiments, saying Africa should start to benefit from GMO technology, which has the potential of alleviating hunger in Third World countries.

Dr Gratian Bamwenda, the director general of the Tropical Pesticides Research Institute (TPRI), says his institution will closely monitor the development and testing of genetically engineered products and provide scientific advice concerning their safety.

He said bio-safety review teams will assess the potential risks associated with GMOs and evaluate the possibility of the risk occurring and the magnitude of harm.

Currently many African countries lack laws requiring food containers to have labels showing the scientific composition of their ingredients and, as a result, there is no way that consumers can know what they are really eating.

© 2005 All Africa Global Media.

All Africa via Checkbiotech

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