March 2006
Mar 28,Dawn.com	Biotechnology to serve future food needs The biotechnology is the only available option to cater to our future food needs while the National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIGBE) is playing its due role in providing skilled manpower in the cutting edge technology. This was stated by Ayub Agriculture Research Institute DG, while speaking to the participants of the fourth national training course on modern techniques in biotechnology at NIBGE here on Monday.
Mar, Pakissan.com	First Bt Cotton Grown in Pakistan In Pakistan, acreage under cotton cultivation reached 7.85 million acres in 2005-06. The country adopted agricultural biotechnology, enacted Biosafety Rules in April 2005 and increased research efforts towards genetically modified (GM) cotton. Institutes like National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE), Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), Nuclear Institute of Agriculture and Biology (NIAB) and National center of Excellence in Molecular Biology (NCEMB) are working in this direction. In 2005 May, PAEC provided basic Bt cottonseed to the farmers, which was cultivated across 8,000 acres of land. The outcome was higher yield with reduced pesticide usage. Globally, Bt cotton varieties give a 30% higher yield compared to the traditional cotton varieties. Estimates indicate, within a couple of years over 50% of the cotton grown around the world will be from genetically engineered crops.