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March 6, 2009
Source:
CropBiotech Update
Uganda's
National Agriculture Research
Organization (NARO) will soon start testing bollworm
resistant cotton (BGII) and herbicide tolerant cotton, known as
Roundup Ready Flex (RRF), in two major cotton growing regions of
Uganda, one in the East and another in the West.
NARO, a public research institution, is partnering with the
private company Monsanto to access state of the art cotton
biotechnologies.
With assistance from the Agricultural Biotech Support Project
(ABSPII), NARO negotiated an agreement under which it has gained
access to privately-developed biotech cotton lines for testing
under local conditions. The tests will evaluate the technology
for its performance and environmental effects.
Effects on social and economic factors will also be undertaken
in later periods. All necessary regulatory and safety procedures
have been observed and, in February 2009, NARO received an
import permit for both the BGII and RRF transgenic cotton
technologies.
For further information contact Dr. Tilahun Zeweldu (ABSPII
Regional Advisor for Eastern Africa) at
zeweldu@biopstra.org
or tilazew@yahoo.com |
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