Policymakers asked to support GMO

ISLAMABAD: Biotech scientists say struggles in agriculture persist, because no international company markets seeds of the four major crops cotton, wheat, rice and sugarcane in Pakistan, and these crops are almost exclusively served by local seed businesses.

“In fact, the only success story in row crops has been that of maize, almost exclusively through efforts of leading multinational companies that have invested in research, technology and farmer education,” a statement quoting experts said.

Genetically Modified Organism (GMOs) was currently one of the most hotly debated topics in Pakistan and around the world as well.

This was despite GM crops being in the market for over two decades with over 17 million farmers growing biotech crops on almost 190 million hectares in 24 countries.

Currently, over 97 percent of the cotton grown in Pakistan was first-generation genetically modified pest-resistant plant cotton (also known as BT cotton). Since the seeds were introduced through illicit means and without proper stewardship, they lost their efficacy after a few years, they reminded.