Tanzania to Triple Cotton Output through Introduction of Bt

The Tanzania Cotton Board has announced that the country’s cotton production could triple due to several major developments: the introduction of genetically modified cotton, the use of contract farming, and increased financing to growers. Production as a result of those efforts is expected to increase from 90,000 metric tons this season to as much as 260,000 tons by 2014-15. That’s still more than double the production of 123,000 tons achieved in 2008-09, a total that decreased 25 percent in the current season due to lower cotton prices.

Trials regarding the use of Bt cotton are ready to begin at any time, with the legal framework having already been put into place, according to an August 16 story posted on Bloomberg.com. To help on the financing side, commercial banks are offering growers loans for contract farming and the government is in the process of establishing an agriculture-specific bank. There are approximately 500,000 Tanaznian farmers cultivating cotton on 485,000 hectares of cropland.