PELUM: COMMERCIAL RELEASE OF GMO COTTON MUST BE STOPPED

MBABANE – The Swaziland Cotton Board’s application to commercialise Bt cotton farming in Swaziland has been strongly objected to.

An objection that has been submitted to the Swaziland Environment Authority (SEA) by Participatory Ecological Land Use Management (PELUM), which the Business Desk has seen, has a bold recommendation to the effect that the intended project was not ideal.

“We recommend that the Swaziland Environment Authority decline the application by the Cotton Board for commercial release of the Bt Cotton.  We also recommend that the Cotton Board explore agro-ecological methods of growing non-GM cotton which they can share with the farmers,” reads the objection in part.

In the application submitted to SEA by the Swaziland Cotton Board, it had been mentioned that the foreseen product would improve cotton production through increased yield.
The board said they were looking at improved ginnery throughput that would enhance employment both in the ginnery and textile sector. The release was intended for the 2017/18 planting season and planting dates commence on October 1 extending to the last week of December.

The duration will be a period of 10 years depending on the event or variety viability and farmers requirements.
Training of farmers on management of new cotton has been ongoing for the past five seasons.
It has been stated that the 2014 and 2016 field trials and demonstration laid sufficient ground for farmers to adopt the technology.
Swazi nation land and private farms will be utilised for cotton production. 

The size of the site is approximately 3 000 hectare of land that would be dependent on technology adoption rate.
All trained farmers will be elegible to grow the cotton.

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