Kampala, Uganda
January 22, 2008by Arthur Makara,
Uganda National Council
for Science and Technology (UNCST)
The National Biosafety
Committee (NBC), housed by the Uganda National Council
for Science and Technology (UNCST), sitting at its Ordinary
meeting held on 23rd August 2007 discussed the report of its
Technical Subcommittee that had been reviewing the application
by National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute (NaSARRI) to
tests Genetically Modified (GM) Cotton with resistance to the
bollworm and herbicide tolerance. The NBC made an approval in
‘Principle’ for the trials to be conducted.
The approval in ‘Principle’ implies that the NBC recommended
that before the research permit is issued by UNCST to the
applicant, a number of conditions have to be met including
taking the members of the NBC Technical Subcommittee to Mubuku,
Kasese where one of the trials is proposed to be conducted so
that they can carry out an on-site inspection. The other
proposed site of trials is at NaSARRI, Serere.
Confined Field Trials (CFTs) are studies that are made by
scientists to collect data on any new varieties developed at
research stations within the country or outside. Dr. Emeetai
Areke, who is also the Director of NaSARRI, is the principal
investigator of this research and heads a team of prominent
Ugandan scientists who interested in researching in this new
frontier of science for improvement of cotton productivity in
Uganda.
Dr. Areke says that the CFTs NaSARRI intends to conduct are just
experimental studies and proof of concept from which the
scientists shall gather data that will in future help them in
the development of GM cotton suited for the Ugandan conditions.
He further emphasizes the economic importance of the bollworm
and weeds as major production constraints for small-scale cotton
farmers in Uganda.
Source:
By Ronald Kalyango,
AllAfrica via SEAMEO SEARCA
Confined field trials of
genetically modified (GM) cotton has been approved in Uganda.
Cotton becomes the second GM crop, after bananas to be approved
by the the National Biosafety Committee (NBC). Confined field
trials are studies that are made by scientists to collect
information on any new varieties developed at research stations
within the country or outside.
Early last year, scientists at the National Agricultural
Biotechnology Centre (NABC) in Kawanda, Wakiso district
successfully planted GM bananas believed to be resistant to
Black Sigatoka disease.
Black Sigatoka is a disease that causes premature drying and
death of banana leaves, leading to significant reduction in
yields.
The GM cotton to be planted is believed to be resistant to the
cotton bollworm and tolerant to herbicides. The trials shall be
carried out by scientists at the National Semi-Arid Resources
Research Institute (NaSARRI) in Soroti and Mobuku in Kasese
districts.
"The GM banana trial is of great significant because it is the
first testing of GM plants in Uganda," explained Dr. Andrew
Kiggundu, a research scientist at NABC. When the trials are
successful, it would become easy for the GM's introduction and
commercialisation use on variety, patent and ownership rights
between the Government and technology providers.
However, stakeholders warn that there is need to hasten
gazetting of the Biotechnology and Biosafety policy for deriving
the required Bill and Act. The policy, drafted in 2003, is yet
to be tabled in Cabinet and Parliament.
"We had moved fast, but the death of Omwony Ojwok, the state
minister of economic planning has stalled the process," noted
Arthur Makara, an official at the Uganda National Council for
Science and Technology (UNCST). He added that they had had a
meeting with Fred Omach, the state minister for finance and were
optimistic that the policy will be discussed by Cabinet as soon
as possible.
By October last year, Kenya was already discussing possible ways
of passing the Biosafety Bill into a Law.
"The fact that the Kenyan parliament started the discussions
late last year, is a sign that when the GMOs are approved in
Kenya, there is no way they will fail to find their way into the
Ugandan markets," said Prof Adipala Ekwamu, the coordinator of
Regional University Forum for Capacity Development in
Agriculture. It also means that local farmers could soon start
growing the high yielding and fast- maturing GMOs.
Biotechnology provides new and promising opportunities for
achieving greater food security, reducing poverty and improving
the quality of life for marginalised people in developing
countries.
However, concerns about the environmental and food safety of
GMOs and biotechnology-derived products have generated extensive
international debate regarding the desirability of GMOs, and
lack of enough information regarding the actual impact of GMOs
on the environment and human health.
Jolly Sabune, the managing director of the Cotton Development
Organisation, said when the Bt Cotton gene is imported, the
productivity of the local varieties would be increased. After
about three years of trials, farmers will be technically guided
on adoption of seeds for planting.
On patent rights, she said UNCST and the technology providers
would agree for the rights to be shared. "We are insisting that
since the technology providers give Uganda the ownership of the
local varieties," Sabune said.
Makara said the approval by NBC implies that before the research
permit is issued by UNCST to scientists to carry out research, a
number of issues have to be met. "Some of the conditions were to
take the NBC members to Soroti and Mobuku where the confined
field trials are going to be conducted. This has been done and
we are waiting for a few technical issues to be addressed before
importation of the genes begins."
Dr. Emeetai Areke, the director of NaSSARI, also the principal
investigator of the research, said the scientists would gather
data from the trials that will be used in the development of GM
cotton suited for Ugandan conditions. He anticipates that the
trials in Soroti will begin during the May-June planting season
and in Mobuku, Kasese district by July.
|
GMO
facility launched in Kawanda, Wakiso district,
Uganda |
Source:
BioVision East Africa
by Patience Atuhaire, Journalist,
Daily Monitor
Owing to completion of a Biosafety Containment Green
house at the National Agricultural Biotechnology
Centre, the National Agricultural Research
Laboratories Institute, Kawanda, now has the
capacity to carry out contained trials of
genetically modified (GM) crops.
The centre, nationally famous for its production of
improved hybrids, received the green house from the
contractor, Victor Construction Ltd, through NARO
(National Agricultural Research Organization)-
Uganda’s leading Public Agricultural Research
Organization on Friday 22 June 2007 at Kawanda. The
facility was officially opened by Prof. J.
Opuda-Asibo, the chairman of the National Biosafety
Committee.
The director of the research institute, Dr. Mathias
Magunda, during the handover ceremony said that the
greenhouse is a containment and experimentation
facility for GM plants, to check their disease and
pest resistance, before they are sent to the field.
The research center is now able to move genetically
enhanced plants from purely laboratory-based
experimentation to contained greenhouse evaluations.
“The green house will improve the production of the
biotechnology inputs for future provision of food
locally as well internationally, by export. This
will also go a long way to improve people’s
economies and, on the whole, the country’s economy,”
Magunda said.
The USAID-funded (UShs. 320m) facility will add to
NARO's capacity to move further in its agricultural
biotechnology research and development efforts.
The facility comprises of an anteroom, where
laboratory workers change into protective or lab
clothing, the preparation room where the plants are
cleaned and potted and the growth area where plants
will be monitored.
The greenhouse uses computerized, state-of-the-art
technology, part of which is an automatic
temperature regulation system. It has an automated
opening roof and a thermo-screen, both of which
regulate the heat to appropriate levels required for
the crops’ proper growth. This climate control
system is connected to misters and irrigators in the
growth room, which irrigate or mist the plants
automatically according to the weather.
While at the moment the greenhouse will be used to
experiment on the crops’ resistance to
disease/pests, in future, more research will be
carried out on crops that are nutrition enhanced. |
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