Tanzania: Mulls Growing Genetically Modified Cotton

Dodoma — TANZANIA could start growing BT Cotton by 2020 when current government efforts to research on its applicability are complete, the Deputy Minister in the Vice-President's Office, Mr Charles Kitwanga, has said.
He said the research is also going on simultaneously with reviewing the Liabilities Act under the Environmental Management Act (2004), to enable scientists start research on how the country can start using genetically engineered crops.
He said in Burkina Faso, where they are currently gaining experience, research into the crop took between 6 and 8 years. Cotton production in Burkina Faso, one of the first countries in Africa to approve genetically modified cotton, recently jumped by 57.5 per cent in 2012-2013 due to an increase in GMO crops.
Mr Kitwanga was responding, on behalf of the Minister for Agriculture, Food Security ad Cooperatives, to a question by Cynthia Hilda Ngoye (Special Seats - CCM), who had wanted to know whether the government would embark on research and mobilising programmes for farmers in Mbarali and Chunya districts to grow and produce optimal amount of cotton to feed Mbeya textile factory.
Mr Kitwanga said the government had suspended cotton growing in Mbeya Region since 2000 due to the existence of the red bollworm in Mbala, Kanga, Galula, Magamba, Wanzani and Chang'ombe villages in Chunya District.
He said the aim of the quarantine was to ensure the worm did not spread to more major cotton grown in the areas. The minister said the government was going on with research to establish how significant the problem was, starting with the 2004/2005 season through to 2007/2008.
He said the research aimed at understanding the extent of the problem and the farmers' opinion on the quarantine. The findings, he said, showed the worm had been increasing every year in the three years of the research.
They also found that in case they opened up cotton farming in those areas, the worm would spread significantly to other big growing areas. Mr Kitwanga said the research showed that production costs also increased in the areas where the worm existed as the farmer had to use pesticides 10 times more than they would use in areas without the worm.
He said due to the findings, it was evident that cotton growing in Mbeya and Rukwa regions would not be productive for farmers for now. The minister said the government was preparing a strategy on how farmers could start growing BT Cotton, which involves doing research on how this genetically engineered crop can be applied.
He said such cotton had greater resistance to such worms and was drought-resistant. He said after a review of the Environment Act and completion of research into BT Cotton, the ministry would look into the possibility of allowing cotton growing in Chunya, Ruvuma and Mpanda districts.
Mr Kitwanga said research into BT cotton would take between 6 and 8 years, just as it taken in Burkina Faso where Tanzania was currently borrowing success experiences