Uganda Tackles Biotech Crops

Uganda launched the report on the Global Status of Commercialized Biotech /GM Crops: 2009 at the International Conference on Agrobiotechnology, Biosafety and Seed Systems in Developing Countries (AGBIOSAFESEED 2010), held at the Imperial Royal Hotel in Kampala on March 10, 2010.  The four- day conference was attended by over 100 delegates including scientists working in the area of biotechnology, policy makers, civil society representatives, farmers and journalists from Africa and other countries in the world. The conference discussed agro biotechnology research and capacity building for development in developing countries, among others.

Dr. Charles Mugoya, Program Manager Association of Agricultural Research in East and Central Africa (ASARECA) Agro-biodiversity and Biosafety Program, launched the report published by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), and warned that climate change is threatening agricultural production. He called upon African countries to embrace agricultural biotechnology, because it is a tool that offers immense potential for stimulating agricultural development in Sub Saharan Africa. A farmer from Wakiso district in Uganda demanded to know when farmers can benefit from agricultural biotechnology to address the problem of diseases affecting food crops and animals. Currently Uganda is carrying out biotechnology research on various crops including banana, maize, cassava, and cotton.

Earlier, Minister of State for Agriculture Bagaine opened the conference and said Uganda is increasing funding for agricultural research. The conference ended with a communiqué which noted the following: That high population growth rates particularly, in Sub Saharan Africa are placing a huge demand on available global resources, calling for increased efforts in food production. There is a need to improve communication of GM technologies through various strategies. Hence, there is a need to provide regular updates on the progress of research and development to the public as well as substantial investment in capacity development for biotech and other related fields.

The conference ended wth an assurance from the 3^rd Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs Krunda Kivenjinja that the parliament of Uganda will soon begin discussing the bill on biotechnology and bio- safety. He was optimistic that biotechnology will increase productivity, so that Sub Saharan African countries can stop importing food or depending on food aid in times of food shortage.

For more information contact Olive Nabukonde at onabukonde@yahoo.com