As [indicated by reports released by] Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR), [Ethiopia’s] field trial towards Bt cotton has now entered the final stage. The experiment has been conducted for over four years on four different sample varieties taken from India and Sudan. And the findings of the field trial show that Bt technology could reverse the influence of insects that greatly affect the productivity of cotton.
The field trials and most of the preparation activities that have been undertaken in the North, South and Eastern parts of the country has shown better results. And the results indicate that Ethiopia will have a Bt cotton variety in its farmlands soon.
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EIAR Deputy Director General Adviser Adugna Wakjira said that in the process of transforming nation’s economy from agriculture based to industrialization, textile and garment industry sectors have been given priorities. In this regard, he said, at the end of the second Growth and Transformation Plan years (GTP-II) a plan is set to generate some about 1 billion USD from textile and garment sector.
To realize this, employing modern technologies and improved cotton varieties are highly decisive to increase productivity and produce commercialized Bt cotton.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Ethiopia’s move towards Bt cotton Commercialization
