GMW: Indian farm research sector opened to U.S. companies

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GMW: Indian farm research sector opened to U.S. companies

" GM WATCH " <info

Thu, 17 Nov 2005 22:24:23 GMT

 

 

 

 

GM WATCH daily

http://www.gmwatch.org

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1.Indian farm research sector opened to U.S. companies

2.Indo-US agriculture research board formed

3.Private-public partnership to make transgenic crops affordable

 

EXCERPTS: India on Saturday opened its public sector agriculture

research sector to U.S. private companies enabling the private sector to

" help identify research areas " that have the potential for " rapid

commercialisation " with a view to developing new and commercially viable

technologies for agricultural advancement in both countries.

 

The agreement said the Initiative might consider areas for joint

research using biotechnology for harnessing genetic potential of

agriculturally important plant and animal species. (item 1)

 

A public private partnership between Mahyco [Monsanto's partner company

in India], academic institutions and private sector seed companies in

India, Bangladesh and Philippines aims to make transgenic crops

affordable to more farmers in the region. Under the USAID-supported

project...

(item 3)

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1.Indian farm research sector opened to U.S. companies

by Gargi Parsai

The Hindu, Nov 13 2005

http://www.hindu.com/2005/11/13/stories/2005111304641000.htm

 

NEW DELHI: India on Saturday opened its public sector agriculture

research sector to U.S. private companies enabling the private sector to

" help identify research areas " that have the potential for " rapid

commercialisation " with a view to developing new and commercially viable

technologies for agricultural advancement in both countries.

 

This public-private partnership was described as a key feature of the

U.S.-India Knowledge Initiative on Agricultural Education, Research,

Service and Commercial Linkages. The objective of the Initiative is to

re-energise the Indo-U.S. partnership by promoting teaching, research,

service and commercial linkages to address " contemporary challenges. "

 

Areas of collaboration are expected to include research on sustainable

agriculture and marketing systems, the use of new information and

communication technologies commercialisation, and implementation of

international food safety and sanitary requirements.

 

Witnessed by the Union Minister for Agriculture and Food, Sharad Pawar,

and the U.S. Trade Representative, Robert Portman, the Knowledge

Initiative Joint Declaration was signed by Director General of ICAR

Mangala

Rai and Under-Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services of

the U.S. Department of Agriculture J.B. Penn.

 

The agreement flows from the Joint Statement signed between U.S.

President George Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during the

latter's

visit to the U.S. in July and is a precursor to Mr. Bush's visit to

India next February. After signing the agreement India and the U.S.

announced the setting up of a Knowledge Initiative Board comprising eight

members from either side drawn from academia, government and the private

sector to recommend specific projects and funding sources. Foreign

Agricultural Service Administrator Ellen Terpstra will co-chair the Board

along with Mr. Mangala Rai. The first meeting of the Board will be

held in

December in the U.S.

 

" The goal of the agreement is to re-energise the agricultural

relationship between the two nations through collaborative efforts in

agricultural research, education and commercial linkages, " Mr. Penn said.

 

The declaration said a " key feature " of the Initiative would be the

public-private partnership between the U.S. and India. When asked whether

there would be dual ownership or co-ownership of the collaborative

research under an Intellectual Property Rights regime, Mr. Penn said,

" Both

countries will benefit mutually. We have a system in place to protect

intellectual property rights. "

 

In his response to the question, Dr. Rai said: " The Board will meet and

identify areas of mutual interest. The intellectual property ownership

would be decided on a case-to-case basis depending on what is the

tangible research, what have been the inputs and what would be the

outcome. "

The joint declaration said agriculture itself had become more global in

its reach, more complex in trade and exchanges, more technologically

grounded and ever more challenged with balancing sustainability,

productivity and social responsiveness.

 

On collaborative research the joint declaration said the possible focus

areas would include improvements in biotechnology, bio-products,

sustainable management of water and natural resources, pest management

support systems, food safety systems, wastage free food storage, and

value

added food products. The agreement said the Initiative might consider

areas for joint research using biotechnology for harnessing genetic

potential of agriculturally important plant and animal species. The Joint

Working Group on Agricultural Biotechnology, a USAID supported effort, is

likely to coordinate with this initiative to promote these objectives.

It will also consider research that has potential for rapid

commercialisation, which can develop new and commercially viable

technologies for

agricultural advancement in both countries.

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2.Indo-US agriculture research board formed

The Hindu Business Line, INov 13 2005

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/11/14/stories/2005111402450300.htm

 

THE Ministry of Agriculture and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)

will form a Knowledge Initiative Board to encourage joint research in

agriculture.

 

The first board meeting to will be held in the US next month. The

members will be from the Government, academia and private sector for

specific projects and funding sources. The board will develop its

findings in

a report that will be delivered to both the Agriculture Ministry and

USDA in 2006, after meeting first in the US and later in India, said an

official statement.

 

It will also initiate a public-private partnership where the private

sector can help identify research areas that have the potential for rapid

commercialisation. The initiative may consider areas for joint research

by using biotechnology for harnessing the genetic potential of plant

and animal species.

 

" The board will have its first meeting in US in December, followed by a

meeting early next year in India in advance of President Bush's

expected visit to India in February, " the Under Secretary for Farm and

Foreign

Agricultural Services, USDA, Mr J. B. Penn, said.

 

The agreement was signed by the ICAR Director General, Mr Mangala Rai,

and Mr Penn in the presence of the Agriculture Minister, Mr Sharad

Pawar, and the US Trade Representative, Mr Robert Portman.

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3.Private-public partnership to make transgenic crops affordable

by R. Balaji

The Hindu Business Line, Nov 14 2005

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2005/11/15/stories/2005111501431200.htm

 

A public private partnership between Mahyco, academic institutions and

private sector seed companies in India, Bangladesh and Philippines aims

to make transgenic crops affordable to more farmers in the region.

 

Under the USAID-supported project, a number of varieties and hybrids of

genetically modified eggplant (brinjal) resistant to fruit and shoot

borers are being developed. Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Co Ltd (Mahyco) is

providing the technology to the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University ;

University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad; Indian Institute of

Vegetable Research, Varanasi; University of Philippines, Los Banos;

Bangladesh

Agricultural Research Institute and a private sector seed company, East

West Seeds, Bangladesh.

 

They are all members of the public-private partnership, Agricultural

Biotechnology Support Project II, led by Cornell University of the US. It

seeks to make the transgenic crop accessible to a wider section of

farmers in this region. The coordinator for the project in India is

Sathguru Management Consultants Pvt Ltd, Hyderabad, which is Cornell's

representative in India. The University of Philippines will handle the

implementation in the South-East Asian region.

 

Addressing newspersons, on a tour of the project sites organised by

Sathguru, Mr K. Vijayarghavan, its Director, said through the

partnership,

the transgenic eggplant developed for different regions would be

available to farmers at an affordable cost. The public institutions

would aim

at cost recovery, while the private players will price it on a

benefit-sharing basis. More than 30 members were partners in the

project, under

which work is on in 10 transgenic crops across the region.

 

The eggplant was selected based on extensive consultation, which

identified that this crop would benefit several farmers in the region

— over

25 million.

 

Dr Usha Barwale Zehr, Joint Director of Research, Mahyco, said in India

alone, over 5.1 lakh hectares were under brinjal cultivation and the

annual production was estimated at about 8.2 million tonnes. The fruit

and shoot borer, an insect pest, affects over 50-70 per cent of the crop

even after continuous insecticide application.

 

Using transgenic technology will prevent such wastage and increase

marketable yield. Apart from the varieties under development by the

public

sector institutions, Mahyco itself is developing four transgenic hybrid

brinjal varieties.

 

There would be enough varieties and hybrids to cover most of the

brinjal-growing regions in India, she said.

 

The limited trials, in its second year now, and statutory safety tests

had been completed. Once the appropriate clearances were received, they

would be able to go in for large-scale trials, which would be followed

by commercial sales. Work on the crop started in 2000, she said.

 

While the benefit to the public institutions is obvious, what value

does Mahyco derive from this partnership?

 

Mr Raju Barwale, Managing Director, Mahyco, said it was in the wider

reach of the technology and the increased level of awareness of

biotechnology and transgenic crops. This would lead to increased

acceptability

if more farmers directly experience the benefits of the technology.

 

The company was targeting release by late 2006 or in 2007, once the

authorities gave the approvals. The tests were positive and there was a

basis for optimism, he said.

 

 

 

 

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