The government, through the ministry of Agriculture, has established 100 demonstration farms for cotton farming, in a bid to begin the commercialization of BT cotton.
According to Peter Munya, Agriculture CS, priority will be given to those counties that fall in the Lake Region Economic Bloc, citing favorable weather condition for growth of BT cotton. Additionally, the government is keen to revive all stalled ginneries in the country, in a bid to revamp the textile industry.
In December last year, the cabinet approved commercial farming of the produce with effect from March this year, set to offer a boost to the government’s Big Four Agenda, in the Manufacturing sector.
Other African countries that have commercialized growth of the GMO crop are Sudan, Egypt, South Africa, and Burkina Faso.
BT cotton is a genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically modified pest resistant plant cotton variety. It produces an insecticide to combat bollworm. BT technology has been used to mitigate effects of pests and diseases, drought stress and other challenges facing farmers globally. It offers broader advantage of reduced production costs, improved crop quality and environmental protection from use of excessive pesticides through chemical sprays.
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