Indian Express: Orissa may not adopt GM crops.

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Government in two minds over GM crops

 

 

 

 

 

BHUBANESWAR: Orissa has seen it all. The livestock

allergy leading to serious health ailments, including deaths in

Khaprakhol of Patnagarh sub-division in Balangir district where a herd

of goats was affected by Bt cotton and other incidents in KBK districts

and areas in Rayagada speak volumes about the effects of genetically

modified (GM) crops.However, as the recent news of trials of Bt

brinjal has become the talk of the town, the pertinent question is,

however, should Orissa go for it? Though the Government has not

permitted GM cops on a mass scale, the situation at grass-roots is

different. Even the officials admit that 70 per cent of the area under

cotton production in the country is now under Bt cotton. The farmers

can get Bt seeds from neighbouring states.According to a study

by French scientist Prof. Gilles-Eric Seralini, who prepared a report

for European Food Safety Authority, the release of Bt brinjal not only

contributes to health hazards in humans but also ‘contaminate’

biodiversity.While it can lead to conditions like antibiotic

resistance in the human beings, livestock would also suffer by

consuming the plants.Prof. Jeffrey Smith of Institute of

Responsible Technology, the US, who was here yesterday, said even if

there are several tests carried out successfully to prove the point

through integrated pest management and non-pesticidal management via

organic methods, there is ‘pressure’ to adopt Bt brinjal in local

conditions.According to city-based Living Farms, senior agriculture

scientists of the State have warned the State Government that if GM

crops were permitted, the situation of marginal farmers would worsen

further.Saroj Mohanty of Paschim Orissa Krushak Samanwaya Samiti

said the organisation has opposed the ‘move’ to launch the GM varieties

and hoped that the State Government would do something to use ‘illegal

adoption’ of GM crops.Contacted, Agriculture Director Arabinda

Padhee said till now the Government has not permitted GM crops except

on ‘experimental’ basis and promised that any such step would be taken

in ‘proper consultation’ with institutions like OUAT and ICAR.Regarding

Prof. Smith’s claims, he said that as the ‘issue’ involves observations

at cellular and molecular level, the State Government would carry out

proper scientific analysis and refer cases to the Genetic Engineering

Approval Committee (GEAC) for consideration.However, he

clarified that even with a GEAC certification, the State Government may

not permit GM crops as hinted by the Agriculture Minister in the recent

past.

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