By Evance Chisiano

Blantyre, May 28, Mana: National Commission for Science and Technology (NCST) on Tuesday trained Blantyre-based media on biotechnology in a bid for the scribes to appreciate benefits of various bio-technological researches universities in the country carry out to improve on production and as a control to pests and diseases.

NCST Acting Director of Research Lyton Kampira said media training was part of routine process the commission undertakes with various stakeholders in bio-technology.

“We wanted to engage the media so that when the public discuss issues to do with bio-technology, the media should be able to understand as well and interpret the messages for the benefit of consumers of such media products,” he added.

Kampira said NCST observed that there were a lot of myths, misconceptions and misinformation surrounding bio-technology on food and other crops that need to be clarified by stakeholders, including the media.

He, therefore, expressed hope that the trained media would disseminate right information about bio-technology products in Malawi, regulatory framework for bio-technology activities in Malawi and genetically maize confined field trials currently taking place at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR).

“We feel you should know more about bio-technology because you are key players in information dissemination,” Kampira said, adding that there was need to inform Malawians on safety of the bio-technology products and its contribution to sustainable agriculture and small-scale farming.

Journalists from Malawi News Agency, Nation Publications Limited, Times Group, Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, Radio Islam, and Mlimi Radio were among those that attended the training workshop.

Mlimi Radio journalist Augustine Mulomole said the training was relevant and informative on issues of bio-technology and genetically modified crops, adding that the knowledge acquired from the workshop will enable the radio to communicate effectively on issues about bio-technology, the mandate of NCST and the role of researchers on bio-technology crop production.

“We will be able to bring to light issues of bio-technology wherever myths and misinformation arise,” Mulomole said.

Others from the academia from Malawi’s higher learning institutions included Professor James Bokosi of LUANAR, who explained on Malawi’s current research on genetically modified maize that will be resistant to army worms attack.

Professor Wisdom Changadeya from the Biological Science Department of the University of Malawi defined bio-technology and explained benefits of biotechnology products, such as a cotton variety currently in use.