Ethiopia prepares for GM cotton to boost textile exports

30 Jan '14

1 min read

Farmers in Ethiopia, a country located in the Horn of Africa, are preparing to sow genetically modified (GM) cotton seeds during the forthcoming rainy season in June, which the Government hopes will boost textile and apparel exports from the country, says a report by the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

In 2013, the Ethiopian Parliament said genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can be imported only after the approval of the Environment Ministry with respect to the GMOs compliance with bio-safety and public health guidelines.

Subsequently, Ahmed Abtewe, the Minister of Industry, said the Government was planning to introduce GM cotton as part of its strategy to boost the textile and clothing sector, but the testing was yet to begin.

Ethiopia, which exports both fabric and garments made of cotton, had set a target of increasing its textile and apparel exports to US$ 1 billion by 2015, but the country is still very far from the target, mainly because the local cotton supply is unable to meet the demand of the domestic industry, the report said.

The Government is now hoping that by planting GM cotton, yields will improve compared to conventional varieties.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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