AGRIDYNE Technologies, a USbiotechnology company, recently announced a major projectinvolving the genetic-engineering of pyrethrins, an insecticidalcompound derived from thepyrethrum flower ( Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium). The US$3 million, three-year project isexpected to produce unlimited" supplies of pyrethrin, anenvironmentally friendly insecticide, in the laboratory.
According to the Ottawabased NGO, Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI), this project, ifsuccessful, could spell disasterfor nearly two lakh pyrethrumgrowers in Kenya, Tanzania,Rwanda, Ecuador andAustralia, especially in view ofUSA being the world's largestimporter of the flower.
Kenya, which supplies overtwo-thirds of the world's US$100 million annual trade innatural pyrethrum, has aboutone lakh small-scale farmersgrowing the flower on approximately 16,000 ha of land. Kenyaalso has a pyrethrum Board thatmanages the processing andmarketing of the flower alongwith running an active researchprogramme. The board hasdeveloped cloned, higher-yielding pyrethrum varieties whichare more disease resistant andhave greater uniform flowering.
Kenya's use of culturedpyrethrum plants has often beencited as an example of thebenefits biotechnology canbring to Third Wor1dagriculture.