The Société de développement du coton (Sodecoton), the Cotton Development Company of the West African country of Cameroon, would be soon starting its research to introduce genetically modified (GM) cotton in Cameroon, Business in Cameroon reported.
Sodecoton, currently in the second phase of research for the next three years, announced at a recently held workshop to assess the results of the first phase of research on the introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Cameroon’s cotton cultivation that it will be experimenting with GM cotton in an open area.
According to Célestin Klassou, a researcher on the Sodecton project, the GMO strain currently tested by Sodecoton is more robust against herbicides and more resistant to diseases, enabling significantly higher yields.
The managing director of Sodecoton, Abdou Namba, said that Cameroon is far from the stage of widespread cultivation. The Government of Cameroon, via legislation governing the area, has put restrictions in place to prevent breaches.
Further experimentation will be necessary to ensure that it is safe for the environment and not a danger to the other varieties of cotton, he said.
Sodecoton has set the target of producing 240,000 tons of cotton in 2014, as against 210,000 tons produced in 2013. (GK)
