Wild melon genes to fight drought

| Friday March 21, 2014 15:16

 

 

This development is expected to improve the country’s food security and commercialisation.

Assistant Minister of Agriculture Oreeditse Molebatsi this week told Parliament the technology could be used to enhance the root systems of plants and improve the survival rate of crops in dry conditions such as the Botswana climate. The yield would also be increased.

Other than a share of the net profits and royalties arising from the sale of the technology, Botswana also hopes that further development and commercialisation of the technology will help farmers produce more food for the country. The licensing agreement entered into in August 2013 by the three entities provides for Japan Tobacco to commercialise the technology on plants with narrow leaves such as maize, millet and rice.  “The bottom line is a move towards food security for our nation and the rest of the world,” Molebatsi told Parliament this week.

Botswana and NAIST will share 45 percent of royalties and get 22.5 percent each while Japan Tobacco Inc will get 55 percent.  Botswana is also entitled to a once-off payment of US$20,000 split in two parts.  The first US$10,000 has already been paid off, with the next payment due this month, Molebatsi said.

Government has faced criticism over its partnership with Japan Tobacco for ethical reasons. Former Minister of Health Joy Phumaphi recently condemned this tripartite agreement and urged the government to look for another partner.

However, Molebatsi told Parliament this week that Japan Tobacco has diversified such that it deals with a number of products that are not tobacco-related. He said the company has a world leading plant biotechnology laboratory and is active in pharmaceuticals, beverages and processed foods. He also said the technology will not be used on tobacco, as the technology will not be developed for use on broad-based plants. Further, he said as co-investors of the technology and co-owners of the patent,

Botswana and NAIST would have to give permission to Japan Tobacco if the company wants to use the technology for anything not in the Licensing Agreement.

“With particular reference to this agreement, the licensed technology is not going to be used to enhance the growing of tobacco, even though the driving company is called Japan Tobacco.  This house and the nation at large are assured that the agreement was entered into with the nation’s interest, health amd safety at heart,” he said.