ISLAMABAD: Federal Textile Minister Abbas Khan Afridi has said that Bt cotton is being cultivated on 83 per cent of the total sowing area under the crop.

The minister in a written reply to a question of MNA Imran Zafar Leghari on Monday informed that Pakistan was the fourth biggest user of Bt cotton seeds in the world.

“The Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) seeds are sown mostly in Punjab (82.65pc) and Sindh (83.23pc),” the minister said.

He said the gene used in Pakistani varieties was Mon 531 or Cry1AC, and its patent had expired, making it free to use.

The Ministry of National Food Security and Research has listed five measures in the written reply to certify Bt cotton seeds.

The ministry said a cotton seed production plan for cotton crop 2015, with major focus on Bt cotton varieties, was prepared in collaboration with public and private seed sectors as well as concerned government institutions.

Moreover, a committee was constituted to monitor the progress on achievements in line with the Cotton Seed Production Plan 2015 on a fortnightly basis. It further said a brochure on improving germination of cotton seed including Bt cotton seed was prepared and circulated among seed corporations/companies and cotton seed growers.

According to the ministry, the Sindh Seed Council released Bt cotton varieties namely MNH-886 and FH-142 in November 2014 to promote certified seed production of these Bt varieties in the province.

A training programme was also held in September last year to increase the professional capacity for certification of Bt cotton seed.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2015

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