Uganda's National Bio-safety Committee (NBC) has approved confined field trials of a genetically modified (GM) variety of cotton that is resistant to bollworm. Bollworm can cause up to 40 percent of cotton crops in parts of Uganda to fail, and 'pest surges' have resulted in the entirety of plantations being lost. This is the second GM crop to be put to field trials in Uganda: the first was a variety of banana in 2006 that is resistant to the bacterial disease Black Sigatoka, which causes low crop yields. The GM cotton trials will be undertaken in Kasese district and trial sites will be ring-fenced and separated from other cotton by at least 200 metres. Arthur Makara, senior science officer at the NBC said the trials show "that Uganda is taking further steps to increase the capacity of its scientists to research, and understand, the principles and practices of modern biotechnology." Dr. Emeetai Areke, director of the National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute, said the scientists would gather data from the trials that will be used in the development of GM cotton suited for Ugandan conditions. Trials are expected to begin in May 2008, but stakeholders have expressed concern that a 2003 bill on Biotechnology and Biosafety has yet to be ratified by Parliament.
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