Zim Industry, Farmers Call For GMO Production To Avert Future Droughts
Bulawayo, September 08, 2012- Zimbabwe industry and farmers have urged
government to adopt Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) production to
ensure food security in the wake of ravaging drought in the country.
The Confederations of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) and Zimbabwe Farmers Union
(ZFU) said Zimbabwe should do away with a GMO ban to attain food security.
“We will continue pushing for the embracing of GMO’s production using GMO
technology for exports to be a starting point.
“We are to organise a seminar on agro-manufacturing that will focus on
increasing grain reserves coverage in a bid to improve agricultural
production locally,’’ said CZI in the statement.
The ZFU information officer, Tinashe Kairiza weighed in saying Zimbabwe
stands to benefit more by adopting GMO production.
“At the moment, we as a union are lobbying for any research that justifies
the adoption of GMOs. Other countries have boosted their yields by adopting
GMOs.
“For example, Burkina Faso is now producing genetically modified cotton and
that has boosted yields,” Kaizira added.
The Zimbabwe government, like most African countries, rejects genetically
modified foods over safety fears.
President Robert Mugabe has condemned GMO’s as bad for Africa.
Mugabe says while GMOs were cheaper to produce, they were costly in the
long-term as they contaminated the environment and harmed biodiversity.
Humanitarian organisations have said at least a quarter of the country’s
populations are in urgent need of food aid between now and the next harvest
in April or they will starve.
Zimbabweans have virtually survived on food handouts from international
relief agencies after Mugabe disrupted the key agriculture sector through
his often violent land reforms six years ago.
Mugabe denies his land reforms caused the food shortages blaming the crisis
on persistent droughts.