Last Updated :
25 November 2008 at 21:10 IST
India’s Bt Cotton to spin success in Philippines
Commodity Online
India’s Bt Cotton seeds will take roots in Philippines soon with the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) issuing a permit to import the seeds from India for conducting greenhouse trials for Bt Cotton in Philippine fields in January 2009.
The permit to import seeds from India was issued two weeks ago after Cotton Development Administration (CDA) made a request.
Spot news, Spot rates. Everything on the spot. Click here to probe furtherCDA had earlier planned to use Bt Cotton seeds from China developed by Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). But because of phytosanitary and quarantine issues, the Philippine government decided to source the seeds from India, which was also developed by CAS.
CDA has been awaiting the arrival of Bt Cotton seeds from China since it was granted by the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines the permit to use the technology in November 2006.
Three sites, possibly in Ilocos and Mindanao, have been identified fro the testing of Bt Cotton seeds.
The greenhouse trial of Bt Cotton will last anywhere from six months to one year. Once the propagation of Bt Cotton is found to be viable in the Philippines, the commercial propagation of the crop could be undertaken by 2010.
The government is looking at a joint venture with the Chinese government to commercially propagate Bt Cotton in the Philippines.
According to reports, once the testing is successful, the Philippine government will hold discussions with China to put up a joint venture firm that will undertake the commercial propagation of Bt Cotton.
Also read
Bt Cotton makes Indian farmers smile
Bt Cotton casts its net far and wide Philippines imported $85 million worth cotton at one time. In terms of volume, the average annual cotton import of Philippines is 300,000 tons. The imported cotton is mainly used by textile manufacturers.
Apart from displacing the imports, the Philippines hopes to replicate the success of India, not just in the commercial propagation of Bt Cotton, but also in the export of the genetically modified product.
MCX CARBON CREDITS 14 December 2012
contract was trading at
Rs 562 , down Rs. -53 . What's your view on it?
After reading this article, people also read:
