(Bloomberg) -- Bayer East Africa Ltd., a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is seeking regulatory approval for the commercial farming of genetically modified cotton in Kenya.
The new variety is pest-resistant and can more than triple yields and move Kenya from an importer to a net exporter of cotton, the company said in filings to the National Environment Management Authority.
Kenya in 2016 granted approval to Monsanto, which was acquired by Bayer, to conduct field trials for GMO cotton before commercial farming of the variety is considered. In 2019, the Kenyan cabinet approved large-scale cultivation of Bt-Cotton.
Kenya's annual demand for cotton is 140,000 bales. The country only produces about 10,000 bales.
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