This year marks Bangladesh’s inaugural cultivation of genetically modified (GM) cotton, a significant step aimed at increasing yields and reducing the country’s reliance on imported yarn raw materials, according to a senior official from the Cotton Development Board (CDB).
This development follows the recent release of two varieties of GM cotton for domestic cultivation by the Ministry of Agriculture.
Sowing of GM cotton has commenced following approval from the National Committee on Biosafety (NCB), explained by Md Fakhre Alam Ibne Tabib, Executive Director of the CDB, while adding the GM cotton incorporates genetic traits from the soil-dwelling bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), which effectively combats bollworm, a caterpillar known for causing damage to cotton yields.
Bangladesh entered the league of GM-crop cultivating nations in 2014 with the introduction of Bt brinjal, the first GM food crop in South Asia. This marks the second GM plant to be introduced in the country.
The CDB official disclosed that 168 demonstration plots spanning 168 acres are being prepared across 13 zones, including Jashore, Chuadanga, and Kushtia districts in the southwest and western regions, as well as Rangpur, Bogura, and Rajshahi districts in the north.
Additionally, areas such as Dhaka, Mymensingh, and hilly districts like Khagrachari, Bandarban, and Rangamati in the Chittagong region are included in this initiative.
Source: https://apparelresources.com/