India Allows Transgenic Cotton in Northern States
Date: 07-Mar-05
Country: INDIA
The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), the main regulatory body, had approved new varieties of transgenic cotton for the northern states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, a spokesman of the environment ministry told Reuters.
"The committee gave approval to six varieties from three companies for commercial cultivation of Bt cotton in the north," he said.
Bt cotton, widely grown around the world, contains a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterium species. When ingested by bollworm, a pest, it causes lethal paralysis in the digestive tract.
The worth of biotech grains is debated worldwide, with advocates saying they could lead to a more secure future for food while critics say they could produce new toxins and allergens.
India opened the door to GMO technology in 2002 after years of trials. Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Co. (MAHYCO), 26 percent owned by US biotech giant Monsanto Co., was allowed to sell GMO cotton hybrid for sowing in southern and central states.
India's cotton production in 2004/05 (Oct-Sept) is estimated to rise to more than 21 million bales from 17.7 million a year ago, mainly because of the use of transgenic cotton in large areas, government officials and traders say.
According to traders, the area under Bt cotton in India has jumped to about 1.34 million hectares in the current crop year from about 405,000 hectares a year earlier
Several state-owned farm institutes, private seed companies and agriculture universities are conducting trials on genetically modified seeds like mustard, rice, potatoes, brinjals and tobacco. These seeds are in various stages of development.
The GEAC, comprising of scientists, government officials, environmentalists and seed developers, also approved large scale trials of another eight new varieties of Bt cotton for the northern region, the spokesman said.
