Abstract:

During the period 1994-2001 four cotton varieties BPA 95, BPA 97, BPA 99, and BPA 2000 have been
developed. This rapid out-turn has been catalyzed by a iiuinbcr of factors. The liberalization of the cotton
industry in 1994 enabled privatization of local
\ctiny, processing and export of lint. The private operators
came up with demands for particular characteristics re(|uired for running the industry profitably. The
ininicdiate response by scientists was the reconiinendation for adoption of BPA types for all production
areas beginning 1997. The breeders turned to (he early generation testing (EGT) technique for reducing
the time for developing a new variety. Another strategy was
exploitation of the new attributes by the stakeholders. In the new varieties boll weights have risen from
<5.00 g to >6.0 g and ginning out turn (GOT) from 34% to 39% in varieties BPA 89 and BPA 2000 respectively.
Farmers' yields of over 3.000 kg ha" liave been recorded under good management. The varieties have
fast HHiltiplication of varieties for quick
strong fibres (30g/tex‘),with staple lengths at > 3()mni and micron a ire values at 3.5 - 4.0 giving strong
yarns of about 2,000 correlated linear strength product (CLSP). The above attributes arising from research
have contributed to increased national production from 2,160 to 26.000 MT of lint between 1988 and 2000.
Between 1995 and 1999 Uganda earned US S 82 million from lint exports and 2.5 million Ugandans now
depend on cotton for source of income