Agriculture ministry to make its preference of GM crops loud and clear
Though the ministry is known for its pro GM crop stand, it has so far preferred to remain quiet over the issue leaving it for the apex court to take a call on it while hearing a petition against use of GM crop in India.
But, the ministry will now try to bring the issue more openly at the time when the country is set to enter food security regime under a new legislation amid a genuine concern to have enough food-grain supply to feed growing population in the long run.
Emphasizing the need to increase agricultural productivity with the help of biotechnology, the ministry will try to drive home its point by sharing data of commercial use of Bt Cotton in India during past one decade and successful use of GM crops in other countries.
The point will be made in the Lok Sabha in response to a Parliament Question on Tuesday. The agriculture minister Sharad Pawar may himself respond to the members' concern over the use of Bt Cotton and its impact on overall export and agricultural produce.
It is expected that the ministry in its response will not restrain itself in stating that the objections of the NGOs and civil society have, in fact, been very speculative and also been without "any reasonable assessment of the technological strengths of Bt Cotton".
The data, which may be shared by the minister, show that the yield of cotton in the country has increased from 307 kg/hectare in 2003-04 to 488 kg/hectare in 2012-13 (2nd advance estimates). The data on production rate (yield) of Bt Cotton is not maintained separately. However, more than 90% of total cotton area (approximately 12 million hectares) in the country is now under Bt Cotton.
Agriculture ministry figures show that the country had 11.97 million hectares of land under cotton cultivation in 2012-13 (fourth advance estimates released on July 22) as compared to 7.60 million hectares in 2003-04. As far as total production of cotton is concerned, the period from 2003-04 to 2012-13 had seen increase from 13.73 million bales (170 kg each bale) to 34 million bales in 10 years making India the second largest exporter of cotton. It is learnt that the ministry in its reply to the Parliament Question is also likely to emphasize that there is no scientific evidence to show that Bt Cotton has adversely impacted the biodiversity or human\cattle health.
The ministry may also pitch for field trials of many GM crops. At present, total 79 applications covering 11 crops including rice, castor, maize, wheat, sugarcane, brinjal, potato, chickpea, mustard and sorghum are pending for approval. Out of the 79 applications, 24 are awaiting no-objection certificate from the state governments while the remaining 55 are yet to be considered by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) pending Supreme Court decision on the entire issue.
Field trials are necessary to generate relevant bio-safety information relating to particular GM crop and its elaborate analysis to ensure food, feed and environmental safety. A final view on the commercialization of GM crop can only be taken when there is a clear economic and technical justification besides suitability for environment and human. TOI
As the Supreme Court is set to resume hearing on controversial GM crop issues from next month, the agriculture ministry may in Parliament on Tuesday (August 27, 2013) try to allay the concerns of civil society and NGOs about possible adverse impact of genetically modified organisms on health and environment. It may put forward its arguments quite forcefully by citing success story of Bt Cotton in India and pitch for field trials of genetically engineered food crops.
Though the ministry is known for its pro GM crop stand, it has so far preferred to remain quiet over the issue leaving it for the apex court to take a call on it while hearing a petition against use of GM crop in India.
But, the ministry will now try to bring the issue more openly at the time when the country is set to enter food security regime under a new legislation amid a genuine concern to have enough food-grain supply to feed growing population in the long run.
Emphasizing the need to increase agricultural productivity with the help of biotechnology, the ministry will try to drive home its point by sharing data of commercial use of Bt Cotton in India during past one decade and successful use of GM crops in other countries.
The point will be made in the Lok Sabha in response to a Parliament Question on Tuesday. The agriculture minister Sharad Pawar may himself respond to the members' concern over the use of Bt Cotton and its impact on overall export and agricultural produce.
It is expected that the ministry in its response will not restrain itself in stating that the objections of the NGOs and civil society have, in fact, been very speculative and also been without "any reasonable assessment of the technological strengths of Bt Cotton".
The data, which may be shared by the minister, show that the yield of cotton in the country has increased from 307 kg/hectare in 2003-04 to 488 kg/hectare in 2012-13 (2nd advance estimates). The data on production rate (yield) of Bt Cotton is not maintained separately. However, more than 90% of total cotton area (approximately 12 million hectares) in the country is now under Bt Cotton.
Agriculture ministry figures show that the country had 11.97 million hectares of land under cotton cultivation in 2012-13 (fourth advance estimates released on July 22) as compared to 7.60 million hectares in 2003-04. As far as total production of cotton is concerned, the period from 2003-04 to 2012-13 had seen increase from 13.73 million bales (170 kg each bale) to 34 million bales in 10 years making India the second largest exporter of cotton. It is learnt that the ministry in its reply to the Parliament Question is also likely to emphasize that there is no scientific evidence to show that Bt Cotton has adversely impacted the biodiversity or human\cattle health.
The ministry may also pitch for field trials of many GM crops. At present, total 79 applications covering 11 crops including rice, castor, maize, wheat, sugarcane, brinjal, potato, chickpea, mustard and sorghum are pending for approval. Out of the 79 applications, 24 are awaiting no-objection certificate from the state governments while the remaining 55 are yet to be considered by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) pending Supreme Court decision on the entire issue.
Field trials are necessary to generate relevant bio-safety information relating to particular GM crop and its elaborate analysis to ensure food, feed and environmental safety. A final view on the commercialization of GM crop can only be taken when there is a clear economic and technical justification besides suitability for environment and human. TOI
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