Burkina Faso’s Bt cotton success may spur Nigeria biosafety law revamp

Burkina Faso’s farmers will be cultivating BT Cotton for the eight season this year and they have benefited significantly from it.

But this is not the case with Nigerian cotton farmers where their contribution to the GDP continues to drop as the contribution of cotton to Nigeria’s GDP dropped significantly from 25 per cent in 1980, to only five per cent at present.

Burkina Faso has emerged as one of the most progressive countries in Africa in terms of biotechnology. With the number of BT cotton cultivated per hectare, the country is today seen as one of the largest-ever where biotechnology has been introduced on the African continent.

Benefits of Biotech Crops

The latest data on benefits from Bt cotton in Burkina Faso in 2013 includes an average yield increase of almost 20%, (19.7%) plus labor and insecticide savings (2 rather than 6 sprays), which resulted in a net gain of about US$95.35 per hectare compared with conventional cotton.

It is estimated that Bt cotton has the potential to generate an economic benefit of up to US$70 million per year for Burkina Faso.

With the economic success recorded by cotton producers in Burkina Faso, Nigerian cotton farmers are already looking forward to a law that will enable them benefit from BT cotton cultivation.

But their wishes can only come to pass if the bill on an act to establish the National Biosafety law for the country before the National Assembly is passed and assented to by President Goodluck Jonathan before May this year.

Read full original article: Boosting cotton production: Why Nigeria needs biosafety law 

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