A genetically modified cottonseed, with in-built resistance against pests that is significantly expected to increase cotton  production of the crop will be introduced next year, said Deputy Director of National Biosafety Centre (NBC), Afzaal Ahmed.

He said that Bt cottonseed would be available in the market from 2009, which would tremendously increase per acre production of the cotton, accounting 10% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 55% to the foreign exchange earnings of the country.

Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) is a genetically modified cottonseed, developed as an effective biological control against a variety of insect pests that destroy important crops including cotton.

Bt cottonseed has an in-built capacity to destroy intestinal walls of pests and any pesticide, which attacks it, dies within a small fraction of time. Earlier, farmers of the country, using imported Bt cottonseed available in the market had failed to get the desired results and thus Bt cottonseed was not considered for farming in Pakistan.