January 2004
Jan 26, dawn.com	Bt crops: shall we miss the bus? Plant biotechnology has revolutionised the way people do farming, not just in terms of increasing yield but also in reducing the use of pesticides and enhancing crop shelf life. World wide, the acreage under Bt crops is increasing, and many concerns related to the safety of transgenic crops have been put to rest, on the basis of research. Cotton better known as 'white gold' accounts for more than one third of Pakistan's export earnings. There were huge losses in cotton crop production due to the attack of bollworm this season and Pakistan had to import cotton from other countries. This could have been avoided had the farmers grown Bt cotton. There is an urgent need to review our biosafety guidelines and remodel the biotechnology policies so that the benefits of biotechnology can be passed on to the farmers and society at large.
Jan 12, dawn.com	Power of Bt-cotton to Combat 'Sundi' (Boll Worm) In Pakistan the cotton crop is known as 'white gold'. This cash crop is the livelihood of millions of people along the cotton value-chain, right from farming to textiles. In cotton producing regions, there is an onslaught of cotton bollworm (American sundi) and tobacco budworm (Lashkari sundi) usually during the months of August and September. In the past, insecticides could control these 'sundies', but of late, they have become resistant to certain chemicals, thus necessitating extensive and costly use of pesticides. All around the world, countries are adopting biotechnology to fight pest attacks and improve yield. Transgenic Bt cottonseed 'Bollgard' produced by Monsanto is one such example, which has shown significant results in damage control of cotton crop. While every technology has both advantages and disadvantages, closing the door to innovations in biotechnology will be disastrous.
Jan 10, paktribune.com	Pakistani Growers Plead for Bt Cotton Cotton imports of about 2.5 million bales will be required to fill the production gap, despite local production of 9.5 million bales. The local mills are keen to import from India, due to the availability of good quality cotton at competitive prices. There have been strong pleas to the government to experiment with the production of genetically modified cotton to enhance production. Pakistan needs to take a cue from countries like India, where the results from Bt cotton have been very encouraging.