Kenya to Commercialize Bt Cotton by 2011
May 29, 2009| |
The lead Bt cotton researcher in Kenya Dr. Charles Waturu predicts that the country will commercialize the crop in three years time. Bt cotton has been undergoing contained field trials (CFT) under the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) for about five years. Speaking to senior policy makers from agriculture sector ministries who were on a fact-finding mission at the Bt cotton CFT site in Thika, near Nairobi, Dr. Waturu, who is also the KARI Thika Center Director, said biotech cotton was urgently need to help boost production, which was in a free fall due to challenges caused by pests and diseases. Cotton production in Kenya has fallen by 70% from 70,000 bales in the mid 1980s to less than 20,000 bales last year. This has forced the country to import about 100,000 bales to meet the shortfall.
For more information contact Daniel Otunge at d.otunge@cgiar.org or Dr. Faith Nguthi at f.nguthi@cgiar.org
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