Benefits of biotechnology to small scale farmers: Case Study Makhatini

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Benefits of biotechnology to small scale farmers
Case Study Makhatini

• MR THEMBITSHE JOSEPH BUTHELEZI (T J)

UBONGWA
CAPE TOWN BIOTECHNOLOGY INFORMATION DAY 14TH
AUGUST 2002
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WHAT IS UBONGWA?

• Ubongwa is an umbrella association of 50
  smallholder farmer associations in
  KwaZulu-Natal.
• I am the chairman of Ubongwa.

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COTTON GROWN IN SOUTH AFRICA
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GENETICALLY MODIFIED COTTON IN SOUTH AFRICA (GM)

• Insect resistant cotton (Bt-cotton) first grown
  in Makhathini 1996 / 97.
• My farm was one of the first four farms to try
  GM cotton in 1996 / 97.
• I planted 2ha with GM cotton and 2ha with
  conventional cotton in 1999 / 2000.
• Other farmers from different associations came
  to see my GM cotton.

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Bt-cotton vs. non Bt-cotton(both planted at the
same time)

• Non Bt-cotton
• Large plant, excessive vegetative growth
• Difficult to spray
• Few bolls to harvest
• 10 sprays for all insect pests

• Bt-cotton
• Small compact plant
• Many mature bolls ready for harvest
• -3 sprays for non bollworm pests

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SMALLHOLDER ADOPTION OF Bt COTTON IN THE MAKHATINI
Statistics - 1999/00 to 2000/01 Growth in no.
of Bt-cotton users 57 Bt-cotton 52 non Bt
cotton 48
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IMPLICATIONS FOR SMALLHOLDER GROWERS

• NEGATIVES
• Affordability
• Technology fee
• Emergence of other pests which were previously
  controlled by bollworm sprays
• Jassids, green stinkbug
• These are easily controlled with 1-2 sprays
• Are not as damaging as bollworms

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IMPLICATIONS FOR SMALLHOLDER GROWERS

• POSITIVES
• Savings
• Time (free up time to do other household tasks)
• Water (water provision for spraying difficult)
• Costs of pesticides
• Labour (20 km to spray 1 ha with knapsack)
• Transport (to buy pesticides)

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IMPLICATIONS FOR SMALLHOLDER GROWERS CONT.

• POSITIVES
• Safety
• Reduced handling of hazardous chemicals
• Improved bollworm control efficiency
• Weather no longer plays a role in spray
  efficiency
• Technology provides superior bollworm control
• Improved ecology

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IMPLICATIONS FOR SMALLHOLDER GROWERS CONT.

• POSITIVES
• Technology provides improved yields
• Makes cotton a more attractive cash crop
• Better utilization of land - limited resource
• Improved returns better quality of life

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IMPLICATIONS FOR SMALLHOLDER GROWERS CONT.

• POSITIVES
• Reduction in use of broad spectrum insecticides
• Less environmental pollution
• Improved biological control of aphids spider
  mites

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OVERALL IMPACT OF Bt COTTON IN SOUTH AFRICA FOR
SMALLHOLDER FARMERS

• Impacting more on smallholder farmers than
  commercial
• 85 of smallholder area is Bt cotton
• Increased yield and profit for both commercial
  smallholder farmers.
• We used to get 6 tons/ha of cotton, now we get
  9.8 tons/ha using Bt cotton.

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OIL FIBRE CROPS IN AFRICA
Class Crop Production (MT) in 2000
Oil Crops Soybeans 724 493
Oil Crops Sunflower seed 101 950
Oil Crops Canola 80 000
Oil Crops other oil seeds 198 797
Oil Crops Palm oil
Fibre Crops Cotton 3 557 717
Fibre Crops Jute 3 400
Fibre Crops Jute-like fibres 120736
Fibre Crops Hemp 530
Fibre Crops Sisal 64 345
Source FAO Statistics 2000
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THE DIFFERENCE GM COTTON HAS MADE TO ME

• Less labour and time needed to grow cotton so I
  can grow more.
• I used to grow 4ha, now I can grow 12ha of
  cotton and I plan to grow 25 ha next year.
• Now I have enough money to build a house.