Finally, the government allowed Monsanto, American entrepreneur, take measures to supply the seeds of its Bt cotton in the years to come so that it could replace indigenous cotton varieties for enhanced yield. Pakistan is the fourth largest cotton producing country in the world without Monsanto's Bt cotton. What would be its ranking in the global market after the arrival of Monsanto's cotton is yet to be ascertained.
At present, the cotton growers of Pakistan are using genetically modified seeds, though unregistered. In Sindh, 90 percent of the total cotton grown relates to Bt varieties, which is, however, 50 percent of Punjab. The government envisaged agenda is to increase the cotton production by increase in yield.
For this purpose, the government is keen to buy genetically modified seeds from the foreign companies like Monsanto, without evaluating the pros and cons of cultivation of favoured Bt cotton from the US company on the hybrid indigenous varieties already under cultivation in Pakistan. In fact, the acquisition of technology or registration of indigenously developed seeds is much cheaper option because Monsanto's Bt cotton seed yields one crop only. Therefore, the cotton growers would have to buy Bt cotton seeds from the foreign companies, every year. It would generate cyclical loss to the poor cotton growers, causing elimination of indigenously developed Bt cotton seeds.
Apparently, no complaints are received against the BT cotton seeds under use which are primarily locally developed. Furthermore, Pakistan has also passed bio-safety rules in April 2005 in order to ensure flawless and human-friendly production of genetically modified seeds inside the national borders. Similarly, the development of hybrid seeds has been going on for centuries by the native framers. Hybrid is a variety of a plant, which does not go through any genetic modification but is developed through natural process by combining two best breeds of a plant. Millenniums experience years show that the new born plant is always stronger and healthier than the parent plant, causing no potential damage to the environment. Pakistani farmers have magnificently inherited this art from their ancestors because cotton cultivation in this part of the world is as old as Indus Valley Civilisation since five thousand years BC.
Although the cotton crop of Pakistan experience the supply of uncertified seeds, adulterated pesticides and fertilisers, the silver fibre is being produced in the country on a large scale, despite the threats of CLCV (cotton leaf curl virus), water stress and weather conditions, particularly, boll shedding due to heat. It means that with use of our indigenous varieties, including Bt currently, around 3.2 million hectares of land is being utilised for cotton production, which is around 15 percent of the total land under cultivation. The cotton-textile sectors account for 11 percent of GDP and 60 percent of total export receipts. The per annum production of cotton is around 12.5 million bales which can be improved to 20 million bales by reducing the damage caused by sucking and chewing worms and viruses.
Considering the importance of the fact, the government is keen to develop practical solutions in collaboration with public as well as private bio-tech breed developers. Furthermore, they are also willing to pay millions of foreign exchange to multinational company if they can come up with better solution.
The year 2010 is going to be the milestone in the history of cotton cultivation in Pakistan. Around 11 new local breeds have been developed, which are pest resistant, out of which eight varieties of BT cotton received the approval of Punjab Seed Council. Although no such breed of cotton is developed as yet, locally or internationally, which can increase the yield of the crop, but the pest resistance might secure the potential yield. Similarly, genetically modified breeds are projected as cost efficient, but it decreases, not eliminate, the use of pesticides and insecticides. The use of pesticides doubles the cost of the farmer, however, the price of seeds offered by the multinationals like Monsanto is four times the original cost, which shrinks the profit margins of the growers.
In India, local seeds cost Rs 325 per hectare and the pesticides used in the process cost not more than Rs 400 per hectare. However, the international variety costs Rs 1450 per hectare compared with Rs 725 per hectare of local varieties. Admittedly, the international product, primary or processed costs higher than the indigenous products, particularly in a developing country. Hence it is more feasible to develop indigenous breeds of cotton than to buy it from the multinationals.
The government of Pakistan has established Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), National Institute for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering (NIBGE) and Nuclear Institute of Agriculture and Biology (NIAB) in Faisalabad, and National Centre of Excellence in Molecular Biology (NCEMB) at Punjab University, Lahore, for R&D in agriculture and other sectors. These institutions are working hard to come up with modern and effective breeds; 11 new cotton breeds are a proof thereof.
However, the memorandum of understanding signed by the government not only poses threats to the indigenously developed Bt seeds, but will result in waste of billions of rupees spent on R&D of indigenous BT cotton seeds. Around $1 billion will be splurged on the purchase of Bt seeds from foreign companies and unlike other cotton varieties its crop will not reproduce the Bt seeds.
Consequently, next year purchase of new seeds will be inevitable again, costing huge foreign exchange reserves depletion. The national institutions, working on research and development of agricultural commodities and complimentary goods, should be given a chance to prove their worth for national well-being.
In free market economy on the globe, no country can stop influx of foreign commodities, but what we can do is to facilitate, develop and modernise the indigenous potentials. And, at least, there arises a need to take decisions in national interests by protecting and polishing the native commodities.
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