By DOH JAMES SONKEY IN YAOUNDE
Cameroon currently experiencing biotech cotton has been urged to introduce other biotech crops such as maize, soybeans, cowpea, banana, sorghum etc in other to maximize agricultural output and widen the commercialization of these products to alleviate hunger and poverty. The call was made by the Director of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), Prof Margaret Karembu from Kenya as she launched the 2016 Global Status Report on Biotech crops last May 4, 2017 at the Yaoundé Hilton Hotel.
The 2016 report on the global commercialization of biotech crops is highlighting the milestones on biotechnology and biosafety achieved in Africa last year.
While revealing that Cameroon is privileged to be the first African country where the report is being launched this year, Prof Margaret Karembu explained that 2016 marked the 19th year in the commercialization of biotech crops in Africa. She further stated that “a total of 13 countries up from 11 in 2015 either planted, actively evaluated trials or transitioned to grant approvals for general release of various biotech crops.”
The report reveals that South Africa continued to lead the adoption of biotech crops in Africa with increased planting of biotech maize, soybeans and cotton totaling to 2.66 million hectares in 2016 making a 16% increase from the reported biotech crop area of 2,29 million hectares in 2015.
The report concludes that “future generations will benefit more from wide choices of biotech crops with improved traits for high yield and nutrition as well as safe for food and environment.”
In a chat with The SUN, the Executive Secretary of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences, Dr David Mbah said “Cameroon chose biotech cotton experimentation as a starting point so that when many people must have seen that in fact, there is really nothing to fear because the scientific and technological process is very rigorous, more biotech crops will be introduced.”