Rivatex East Africa Limited (RIVATEX) to Benefit From the BT cotton seeds Lift Ban
The textile industry in the country is expected to be revitalized following the lifting of the ban on BT cotton seeds.
A cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto on Monday approved the lifting of the ban.
Rivatex East Africa Limited (RIVATEX), is one of the firms that are expected to benefit massively from this game-changer decision as it will guarantee higher yields as well as resistance to pests such as bollworms
Initially, the facility used to consume less than 10,000 bales of cotton annually but the provision of state-of-the-art machines has seen a tremendous increase in the consumption of cotton. Sadly, the demand for cotton in the country surpasses its supply by far.
“The ratification of Bt cotton will guarantee a steady supply of raw materials to support our operations. The country’s expenditure on the importation of cotton will be reduced as we will be able to boost the supply of raw materials to the industry,” said Prof Thomas Kipkurgat, the Rivatex East Africa Limited (RIVATEX) managing director in a past interview.
The firm has the capacity of producing more than 100,000 meters of finished fabric daily but instead, produces 40,000 meters of finished fabric due to the deficit in raw materials, cotton. This deficit in turn results in the importation of raw materials worth sh17 billion annually from East Africa the Community Member States; Uganda, and Tanzania.
RIVATEX management admitted to operating below capacity due to a shortage in cotton, receiving 3000 bales monthly against a capacity of 20,000 bales. This results in a production average of 40,000 bales against a capacity of 200,000 bales annually.
The Eldoret-based textile manufacturer last year launched a program to supply cotton wool farmers from 22 counties with Bt seeds to ensure a steady supply of raw materials as it restructured its operations to attain international standards.
Bt seeds not only pose an advantage to the textile industry but also to the farmers. A farmer is guaranteed between 1000kg and 1500kg per acre which translates to sh75,000, triple the amount of conventional cotton seeds that yields only 500kg to 700kg per acre.
The cabinet’s decision to lift the ban on Genetically Modifies Crops, GMO’s, has been received with awe by biotechnology scientists citing the country will be able to solve food insecurity in the wake of the biting drought that has exposed over 3 million Kenya to famine.
“As scientists, we are happy the president has given us the benefit of doubt to give out the go-ahead on the importation and utilization of GMO crops. We believe that the problem of food security will decline and even the change in the weather pattern will not affect our yields as a country,” said Dr. Erick Magembe.
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