Togo's Ministry of Agriculture Foresees Great Potential in Agricultural Biotechnology

The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries in Togo, Mr. Kombaté Dindiogue Konlani cited biotechnology as a valuable tool in addressing problems facing agriculture in his country. In his speech during the launch of the ISAAA report on the status of commercialized biotech crops:2011, the permanent secretary reminded that the government, through the National Program for investment in Agriculture and Food Security framework, is seeking to improve agricultural productivity through research, especially on cotton, a major cash crop in Togo. Cotton yields in the country have fallen from more than 190,000 metric tons in 1998 to less than 80,000 metric tons in 2011.

Mr. Chamsoudine Afoda, the biosafety focal point in Togo, informed participants that with the establishment of a national biosafety framework in Togo, the country is gearing towards the adoption of agricultural biotechnology. Togo approved the Biosafety Law in January 2009.

The launch of the ISAAA report was organized for the second time in Togo on 22 May 2012, under the auspices of Agronomical Research Institute of Togo (ITRA), in collaboration with the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (CORAF/WECARD).

To read the full article on the ISAAA report launch in Togo, in French, go to: http://www.afriquinfos.com/articles/2012/5/23/togo-rapport-2011-service-international-pour-lacquisition-applications-biotechnologie-agricoles-rendu-public-202960.asp. For information on biotechnology in Africa contact Margaret Karembu of  ISAAA AfriCenter at m.karembu@isaaa.org.