Saturday, April 25, 2009
VJAS urged Indian Govt. to clarify it’s official stand on Desi Bt cotton seeds of Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR)
VJAS urged Indian Govt. to clarify it’s official stand on
Desi Bt cotton seeds of Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR)
It is reported that the white elephant research
It is reported by CICR Director Keshav Kranthi. that DESI Bt,cotton seeds will be available for Rs 200 per 2 kg bag as against Rs 750 per 450 gm bag of Monsanto’s Bt,cotton seed currently sold by national and multinational companies like Mahyco, Rasi, Ankur and Nuziveedu.
CICR claimed that the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), the apex body which clears GM crops, had okayed the Indian strain on May 2 last year this variety will enable farmers to replicate seeds for the next sowing and CICR’s DESI Bt.cotton variety needs very little fertiliser and pesticide, the farmer can save nearly 4,000 per acre in the first year (Rs 1,000 on seeds, Rs 2,000 on pesticides and Rs 1,000 on fertilisers) and about Rs 4,500 per acre every subsequent year since he won’t have to buy seeds. One seed of the desi Bt can produce up to 200-300 seeds which is not possible with Monsanto’s Bt,cotton seed more over Monsanto’s Bt,cotton seeds has been failed in vidarbha’s dry land cotton fields resulting more than 5000 cotton farmers suicides ,informed kishore tiwari of VJAS (vidarbha jan andolan samiti) since june 2005 after Indian Govt. permitted commercial trials of Monsanto’s Bt,cotton seed .
Having got very bad experience with Monsanto’s Bt,cotton seeds now Indian council of agriculture search(ICAR) non-operational and paper tiger baby the Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR) in Nagpur is claiming that Indian cotton scientists were able to introduce the Bt gene Cry 1 AC in the Rajasthan variety Bikaneri Narma three years ago with their own standardised protocol (method) called primary transgenic and it further added that CICR will also be give foundation seeds for multiplication next year to state Govt. which they failed before . Besides this CICR also claims that they are only institute after.China has succeeded in developing its own protocol called Pollen 2 Pathway which needs official verification.
CICR has informed that they will supply the bags to state seed companies which will then distribute them to farmers and this year CICR is giving it only to Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat ,VJAS has raised doubts as state seed companies are official agents of Monsanto’s Bt,cotton seed currently sold by national and multinational companies like Mahyco, Rasi, Ankur and Nuziveedu will not promote DESI Bt.cotton seed of CICR.
CICR Director Keshav Kranthi claims that DESI Bt.cotton seed of CICR is beneficial in drought-tolerant, non-irrigated areas and is also resistant to sucking pests like jassids and aphids ,VJAS has urged Indian Govt. to take official stand over this ICAR activity as Monsanto’s Bt,cotton seed has been known as killer seed in vidarbha cotton belt and now CICR should not add another killer Bt.cotton seed in the region as CICR informed that Maharashtra will get 13,000 packets, followed by Madhya Pradesh (up to 3,000), Andhra Pradesh (up to 1,000) and Gujarat (500). The CICR will retain about 3,000 packets for multiplication which clear indication that vidarbha will get majority of desi Bt.cotton seeds in addition to Monsanto’s Bt,cotton seed currently sold by national and multinational companies like Mahyco, Rasi, Ankur and Nuziveedu .
“our experience with Monsanto’s Bt,cotton seed is too bad to believe in any more Desi Bt.cotton seed as GM technology is based on gene which noly available in part of America then it is must for Indian Govt. to clarify on the claims of CICR ” Kishore Tiwari further added.
“we want to stop on going farm suicides of poor debt trapped cotton farmers and to protect from , multinational companies like Monsanto but corrupt leaders ,officers and now research community will make the thing further impossible” Tiwari said.
Please release this pres note
Thanking you,
Yours faithfully, For VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMlTI
KISHORE TIWARI
PRESIDENT
contact-09422108846
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