Scientists and researchers involved with the Bt brinjal development and deployment in Bangladesh expect that cultivation of Bt brinjal, if scaled up, can prevent the application of over 230,000 litres of pesticide nationwide. When Bt brinjal got regulatory approval in Bangladesh back in 2013, debate sparked over its efficacy and impact on agro-ecology and biodiversity. Now with every passing year, the number of its beneficiaries – the farmers – adopting the GM technology is growing. Five years after introducing the country's first genetically modified crop – Bt brinjal – the government undertook an impact assessment study in 2018. It later came up with the good news that farmers got benefited financially by cultivating Bt brinjal and they are now much less prone to health hazards caused by pesticide sprays.

Source: Dhaka Tribune December 11, 2020 13:18 UTC