The IMF’s April 2025 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa presents a clear warning: regional growth is slowing, debt pressures are mounting, and donor assistance is declining. Yet the report outlines critical opportunities particularly in domestic revenue mobilization, structural reform, and private sector activation that can shape a more resilient …
The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) is set to release three varieties of Bt Brinjal this year and two other varieties by next year despite controversies regarding its production and harmful effects on human body, officials said. The five varieties are Sing Nath, Chega, Islampuri, Dohazari and Khotkhotia. Of these, …
Scientists are lobbying for approval to commercialise a genetically modified maize variety. "Globally, Bt maize has been proven to effectively control stem borer and improve maize grain yield and quality due to reduced pest damage," Eliud Kireger said yesterday. Kireger, the director general of the Kenya Agricultural Livestock and Research …
FUZHOU - Scientists from China, Sweden and the United States have developed a high-yielding rice that can reduce methane emissions, a major greenhouse gas blamed for global warming, from paddies. By inserting a barley gene into rice, Sun Chuanxin and his colleagues created SUSIBA2 Rice, which stores more starch in …
Refers matter to Anil Kakodkar-led committee Amid strong protests by from the Swadeshi Jagran Manch and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, the Maharashtra government has stayed open field trials in genetically modified lines of rice, chana, maize, brinjal and cotton in the state. The government has referred objections and comments received from …
A genetically-modified cereal crop that produces fish oil in its seeds has been grown successfully for the first time in Britain, scientists have announced. Up to 15 per cent of the oil in the seeds of the GM crop following the first year’s harvest turned out to be the omega-3 …
ISLAMABAD: Cotton growers’ current woes with the genetically modified (GM) Bt seeds have been traced to an agreement that a national research institute signed with a multinational biotech seed producing company in 2006 over the head of Pakistan government, according to knowledgeable sources. “Dr Yousaf Zafar, the then director of …
European food safety officials found there was no need to widen buffer zones around genetically modified (GM) crops even though research shows that pollen from GM maize, which can travel kilometres further than previously thought. The buffer zones to protect vulnerable species, such as butterflies, have been part of heated …
The White House on Thursday directed the three U.S. agencies that oversee biotech crop products to improve and modernize their regulatory "framework" to boost public confidence in a system that critics call a failure. The order, announced in a statement by President Barack Obama's Office of Science and Technology Policy, …
A scientist at the Yam and Cotton Breeding Programme of the Savanna Agricultural Research Institute (SARI), Dr Emmanuel Chamba, has confirmed that Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton trials in the three northern regions of the country have yielded positive results. “What we did was that we had a quarter hectare Bt …
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar today said that putting an enforcement mechanism for various green laws will be a priority of his Ministry in the second year. Advocating amendments to existing environment laws, Javadekar said that periodic review of laws is needed every 10-15 years as circumstances and technology keep changing. …
ISLAMABAD: “Bt”, the genetically modified cotton seed surreptitiously introduced in Pakistan in 2005, is proving a disaster than a boon to the country’s strategic crop. Growers say Bt has disproved its superiority over the indigenous seed which it has all but banished and in fact has introduced new pests, leaving …
BATHINDA: Punjab chapter of the NGO 'Coalition for GM free India' has warned the state government against going ahead with field trials of genetically modified mustard and maize crops. The NGO has decided to oppose trials and commercial cultivation of these crops in future. The NGO, taking along other social …
The drafting of a new biosafety bill is being prepared to regulate import of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the country. Currently, there is no law at the federal level to check import of genetically modified (GM) seeds in the country. In absence of a law, the country is fast …
NAGPUR: Just a few days before five private parties were to go ahead with field trials of genetically modified (GM) rice and chickpea (kabuli chana), the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP-Shiv Sena government in state has put it on hold. The orders were abruptly issued on May 21. The companies had got …
Extension specialists, NGOs, agriculture companies, and farmers from different parts of Punjab deliberated on diverse aspects of genetically modified (GM) crops during the stakeholder’s workshop on “Socio-Economic Considerations for GM Crops” held at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). The workshop was organised under the project “Developing Guidelines and Methodologies for Socio-Economic …
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pitch for genetic engineering has sparked off fresh debate on the contentious issue. While a section of environmentalists expressed concern over its “consumer safety aspects”, reacting to the Prime Minister’s statement Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said the government would “abide by Supreme Court directions” on …
Tens of thousands of people marched in cities across the world on Saturday to protest against the American biotechnology giant Monsanto and its genetically modified crops and pesticides. The third annual March Against Monsanto – begun by the Occupy movement – was held in around 400 cities in more than …
Indian scientists have completed final trials of a genetically modified (GM) variety of mustard and will submit a report to the government in a month, hoping to win over stiff opposition to make it the country's first commercial transgenic food crop. A powerful farmers group close to Prime Minister Narendra …
Five years ago, India was a hostile place for researchers testing genetically modified (GM) crops. Its government barred the commercial planting of a transgenic aubergine (a vegetable locally known as brinjal) after protests from anti-GM activists. Then it gave state governments the power to veto transgenic-crop field trials. The result: …
The US has accused the EU of undermining efforts to improve global food security by proposing new rules that would allow any of its 28 member states to opt out of decisions by Brussels to open the door to genetically modified crops. In an interview with the Financial Times, Tom …
