Browse Data and Analysis

The Ethiopian Sugar Corporation (ESC) and the Ethiopian Industrial Input Development Enterprise (EIIDE) have separately issued international competitive tenders to purchase 200,000 metric tons (MT) of white cane sugar and 10,000 MT of lint cotton, respectively.

South Africa has a robust and experienced regulatory system for genetically engineered (GE) products which started with the publication of its “GMO” act in 1997.

Ethiopian farmers and researchers have tried to address food security shortfalls and plant health issues through conventional breeding without success.

Cotton production for MY2019/20 is forecast at 262,000 bales (57,000 metric tons), 8 percent higher than the previous year.

In 2018, the Government of Ethiopia (GOE) authorized cultivation of genetically engineered (GE) cotton by granting official approvals for environmental release.

The production area of genetically engineered (GE) corn, soybean and cotton in South Africa is estimated at around 2.7 million hectares.

In May, the Ethiopian Ministry of Environment approved Bt cotton – the country’s first biotech crop – for cultivation.

Cotton production in MY17/18 (Aug-Jul) is projected to fall to 176,000 bales (38,000 MT) because of poor weather conditions and pest damage.

Ethiopia completed its second round of Bt cotton confined field trials in 2017 and commercialization is expected within the next couple of years.

For the past several years, Ethiopia has invested in establishing the legal and regulatory systems, as well as the technical capacity to support and manage the adoption of genetically engineered...

Post forecasts that the area under cotton production in Zimbabwe will increase, under normal climatic conditions, to about 300,000 hectares and production will recover to around 210,000 MT

After a small decline in MY15/16 (Aug-Jul) because of the drought, cotton production is forecast to more than recover, reaching 207,000 bales (45,000 metric tons) in MY16/17.