Islamabad, Pakistan
October 16, 2008
Source:
Daily Times via
Pakistan Biotechnology
Information Center (PABIC)
For increasing cotton production,
the federal government is likely to finalise an agreement with a
US-based multinational biotechnology company Monsanto in early
November 2008.
The officials of Monsanto and Ministry of Food, Agriculture and
Livestock held a meeting but could not reach any final decision.
The government wants the company to install its gems in local
seed but the company is interested in bringing Hybrid Cotton
technology of Indian origin. Officials in MINFAL told Daily
Times here on Thursday the Bt companies have to clear test and
trial for one year and after that period it would be introduced
commercially, the officials maintained.
The officials said that they wanted Monsanto to work together
with local cotton institutions for increasing cotton production
in the country on the basis of public private partnership. The
cotton production currently missed its target of 14.1 million
bales and remained at 12 million bales, showing a 15 percent
declined in the outgoing Kharif season. Cotton is the major
source of foreign exchange of the country and the government is
determined to increase its production. Monsanto has offered its
hi-tech Bollguard-II for enhancing cotton output and to meet
local demand of the commodity.
Pakistan is producing about 13 million cotton bales average per
annum and occupies 4th position in cotton production world over
and has very extensive and well-established textile industry.
The county’s economy depends to a great extent on cotton and its
products. Cotton crop required an intensive use of pesticides as
various types of pests who attack these crops cause extensive
damage. Among these, bollworm pests control alone take a heavy
toll on the crop. Pakistan expends about more than Rs 10 billion
on import of various kinds of pesticides and about 75 percent of
them were used in cotton. Biotech-hybrid seed provided Bt trait
was added to indigenous cotton varieties preferably which were
appropriate for the textile industry adaptable to local
agro-ecological conditions and resistant/ to cotton leave curl
virus could bring a revolution in raising cotton yield levels.
Monsanto can play a very supportive role in this regard if joint
ventures along with public research institutes were initiated,
they added.
The national seed requirement of cotton in the country is 62,000
metric tonnes while its availability from local seed sector is
about 39,845 metric tonnes (64 percent of the total seed
requirement). The remaining 36 percent seed is produced and
distributed through informal sector i.e. grower-to-grower
exchange.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were required to evaluate
and monitor the release of biotech varieties in Pakistan, the
officials added. The SOPs should be more transparent, efficient
and professional and they should be streamlined without
compromising on principles of bioenvironmental safety.
Federal Food Minister, Nazar Mohammad Gondal chaired the meeting
and the next meeting would be held in early week next month.
Source: Daily Times |
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