Pressure rises to lift biotech cotton ban

Women pick cotton at a farm in Ahero, Nyando district. In the face of declining cotton yields that threaten to disrupt Kenya’s textile industry, pressure is on to lift ban on biotechnology. PHOTO | JACOB OWITI | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

In Summary

• Kenya, with other African states, has petitioned the United States to allow cotton products from sub-Saharan Africa to access the US market tax-and quota-free.
• Textile industries established in export processing zones are major consumers of the cotton lint and yarn, but have to import the bulk of the raw materials.

By MWANIKI WAHOME
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In the face of declining cotton yields that threaten to disrupt Kenya’s textile industry, pressure is on to lift ban on biotechnology.

This is because countries like Burkina Faso, Sudan and India have used biotechnology to increase their cotton production.

“Average production of cotton in Kenya is between 200 to 300 kilos compared to 800 to 1,000 kilos an acre in these countries,” said Mr Patrick Muriuki, managing director of Icoseed, a non-governmental organisation in Kirinyaga.

The organisation was contracted by World Bank in 2005 to study cotton production.

Attempts to increase production using non-biotech seeds have been been poor so that even if the prices were to rise, farmers would get little.

MAJOR DECLINE

“There has been a major decline in cotton production in the country and ginneries are now importing from neighbouring countries,” Mwea Cotton Ginnery director Mugo Makanga said.

Kenya produced 22,000 bales of cotton in 2013, against a demand of 200,000.

“The extension of the African Agoa (Growth and Opportunities Act) will be of no value to farmers if cotton production does not grow. This is the time to embrace biotechnology so farmers can earn more and restore Kenya’s textile industry,” Mr Makanga said.

Kenya, with other African states, has petitioned the United States to allow cotton products from sub-Saharan Africa to access the US market tax-and quota-free.

Textile industries established in export processing zones are major consumers of the cotton lint and yarn, but have to import the bulk of the raw materials. By 2008, the national demand for lint was about 111,000 tonnes of seed cotton against a supply of about 24,975 tonnes, according to a report prepared by a task force on the textile industry.

According to sources, the Kenya Agriculture Research Institute is holding final trials for biotechnology seeds.

“The ban on biotechnology should be lifted to increase production of crops in the country. It is not enough to declare that non-food items can use the new technology,” said senior assistant director of research at the ministry of Education, Science and Technology Roy Mugiira.