KENYA might soon adopt the biotech cotton farming policy.
This is after a delegation of 15 state officers left the country Saturday night headed for a six-day tour to the United States of America to review their cotton farming policy.
The tour is meant to help the delegation tour some of the progressive cotton institutes in the US so that they can faucet some of the biotechnology used in cotton farming.
The delegation of nine governors and six senior Ministry of Agriculture officers lead by Kisumu county Governor Jack Ranguma was set to tour New York, Washington and St Loius, Missouri.
Ranguma, the head of delegation and chairman of the health and technology council of governors, said the delegation was on a mission to explore ways of reviving cotton farming in Kenya particularly biotech cotton. He said the tour was paid for by USAID.
“The USAID is sponsoring all the 9 governors from cotton potential counties though the government will have to augment a little amount for the facilitation of the senior agriculture officers”, Ranguma, said.
He reiterated that the delegation’s key mission was to visit the senior officers from the US agriculture department to explore all aspects related to cotton.
“Our target is to go and experience their biotechnology process and policy implementations in regards to biotech cotton”, said he.
The governor cited St. Louis as a major center where they will visit Danforth plant science center to observe the biotech research and development act.
The delegation intends to go through some of the procedures for product commercialization and technology sharing for humanitarian purposes.
According to Ranguma experts say that Kenya has the potential to do well in biotech cotton farming only that the former president Kibaki’s cabinet passed a law that outlawed the technology as much as countries like China and the US are ready to give heavy funds for cotton farming investments.
“Sooner after we come back from the trip we shall see if there is need to table a bill in the parliament for amendments so that we can go biotech in cotton farming”, said Ranguma.
Migori county governor Okoth Obado, Kwale county governor Salim Mvurya, Kitui county governor Julius Malombe, Homa Bay governor Cyprian Awiti and Busia county governor Sospeter Ojaamong are among the 9 governors in the delegation to US.
Ranguma said that Busia, Siaya, Kitui, Homabay, Kwale, Makueni, Migori, Elgeyo Markwet and West Pokot are among the counties that experts have commended to be high potential areas for biotech cotton farming.