Advanced field trials of biotech crops in Pakistan In the early 1970s, Pakistan was the first country to adopt and popularise the semi-dwarf high-yielding wheat varieties that subsequently facilitated the implementation of the green revolution in Pakistan. In recent years, Pakistan’s leadership have reiterated that technology, especially biotechnology, can play the critical role in meeting agricultural targets during this century, leading to higher production, better resistance, and lower costs of production.
Major investments in public sector have been made over the years in agricultural biotechnology, and a few research centres have attained international recognition. There is a need to establish more such centres especially on agro-genomics to act as the supplier of all basic in formation for developing desirable transgenic crops and animals. Reminiscent of the green revolution era, that made Pakistan self sufficient in food production in the 1960s, the government of Pakistan made the historic decision in 2010 to approve the commercial release of eight insect resistant Bt cotton varieties and one hybrid.
The Bt cotton was planted by approximately 600,000 farmers in the kharif season of 2010 (Monsoon season) on 2.4 million hectares, occupying a substantial 75 percent of the total 3.2 million hectares of cotton area planted nationally in Pakistan. As a result, a record cotton production of 14 million bales was expected in 2010, however, two to 2.5 million bales of cotton were lost due to severe floods, which destroyed 0.7 million hectares of cotton in the major cotton growing provinces of Punjab and Sindh, resulting in a significantly lowered cotton production of only 12 million bales.
Based on field experiments in Pakistan, it is estimated that biotech cotton with both Bt and herbicide tolerance has the potential to increase yield, result in significant savings of insecticides, and deliver substantial net economic benefits of up to $280 per hectare, which could contribute an additional $800 million annually to the farm economy of Pakistan. Compared with other countries like India, that have derived significant yield benefits from Bt cotton, Pakistan has to contend with the possibility that the significant yield gains from Bt cotton can be eroded by the cotton leaf curl virus. The importance of food, feed and fibre crops are major contributors to Pakistan’s GDP, and biotech crops could make a significant contribution at this critical time, when Pakistan is trying to desperately recover from the worst floods in its history.
Farmer testimonials
Niaz Nizamani is a learned progressive farmer from Tando Allahyar (near Hyderabad, Sindh). He is growing sugar cane, banana, cotton, rice, and wheat on his farms. He has experience in planting Bt cotton. He said, “Bt cotton is a total revolution in the field of agriculture. We get very good yields per hectare along with a good quality. The cotton leaf curl virus is the major problem faced by the cotton farmers of Pakistan, and currently available Bt seed varieties are not able to solve the problem. Still, we are in need of some better quality seeds to overcome the cotton leaf curl virus problem which is affecting our crops and reducing the productivity to half.”
Hadi Bukhsh Leghari is working as the technical manager of a Sindh farm in Tando Allahyar. He told the Pakistan Biotechnology Information Center (PABIC), “In the coastal areas of Sindh, no cotton has been grown but after the introduction of different Bt cotton varieties many farmers are growing this because of high yield and good quality. The major problem is the lack of a protocol to be followed by the growers for the sowing of Bt seeds. Although Pakistan has approved eight cotton varieties, still, we are waiting for the proper permission and the sustainable supply of the seeds. This situation actually confounds our agriculture sector are the illegal and unknown varieties which results in other complications like the cotton leaf curl virus.”