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AP to regulate Bt-cotton cultivation

Alarmed by media reports that unscrupulous seed manufacturers and traders were wooing gullible farmers by promising supply of bullworm-resistant Bt cotton, the Andhra Pradesh government will hold talks in the next few days with Mahyco-Mansanto, the only transnational company permitted by the Centre, to commercialise the genetically-modified seed.

Announcing this at a press conference in Vijayawada, state Agriculture Minister V Sobhanadreswara Rao said the government would work out a memorandum of understanding with the company and ensure that farmers' interests were protected.

The company would be asked to take up the responsibility of fulfilling conditions like reserving a portion of the field for conventional varieties to retard the onset of Bt toxin resistance among bullworms.

Notices were being served on companies, which had advertised supply of Bt-rice, he said, adding that the advertisement was mischievous, as no Bt rice had been produced.

So far Bt-cotton, Bt-tomato and Bt-corn seeds had been produced in the world, he added.

Rao said a report was submitted to the Centre about the unapproved Bt cotton cultivation in the state last year for follow-up action.

Urging the farmers not to go in for Bt seeds in a big way, he asked them to adopt a 'wait and watch' approach since such seeds would be effective only against American bullworm and help reduce cost of plant protection by 30 per cent and increase production by 20 to 30 per cent.

Moreover, there would be no scope for exports to European countries, where genetically-modified crops were banned, he pointed out.

The government had successfully curbed 'fly-by-night' firms manufacturing seeds and pesticides, by weeding them out and signing memorandum of understanding with 200 established companies, he added.

The agriculture minister said the government had allocated this year Rs 150 million for providing subsidy to take up cultivation of green manure seeds in order to reduce use of chemical fertilisers and another Rs 270 million for providing subsidy to small and marginal farmers to purchase power tillers, paddy cleaners, threshers, power sprayers and other farm mechanisation implements.

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