Pakistan
May 4, 2016

On Monday 2nd May 2016 Punjab Seed Council (PSC) sanction the 11 BT and two non-BT new cotton seed varieties with two years pause due to uncertain status of the National Bio-safety Committee (NBC) after the 18th Constitutional amendment.
The cotton varieties were acquiescence after a two years pause due to unclear status of NBC. Adding the new seed technology is not being introduced in Pakistan by multi-national corporations due to non-existence of patent protection laws.

All the 29 new strain of cotton varieties i.e. BT cotton (27) and non-BT cotton (2) were developed by publically and private sectors. The approval to this effect was made during the 46th meeting of PSC.The 29 cotton seed varieties included BH-178, BH-184, MNH-886, FH-114, FH-118, FH-142, PH-Lalazar, MNH-988, VH-259, VH-305, CA-12, CIM-598, CIM-599, CIM-602, CEMB-33, BS-52, IUB-13, MM-58, IUB-222, KZ-181, IR-NIAB-824, IR-NIBGE-901, IR-NIBGE-3, LEADER-1, A-555, AGC-777 and two non-BT cotton varieties included CYTO-124 and NIAB-2008.

The new cotton seed varieties would help in enhancing cotton production in the country Cotton Commissioner  Dr. Khalid Abdullah said, Pakistan cotton production for the outgoing season (2015-16) was missed by 35 percent These 11 and 16 previously approved BT varieties were granted commercialization licenses by NBC in April 2016 and He also said that The new cotton seed varieties would help in raise cotton production in the country and BT cotton varieties are being cultivated in Pakistan since 2010 and over 88 percent area is under BT first generation Boll Guard-I.

Website: http://www.pabic.com.pk

Published: May 4, 2016