Tuesday, June 30, 2015

NEWS : FCI stuck with 24m tonnes of poor wheat

Dipak K Dash,TNN | Times of India | Jun 29, 2015, 01.18 AM IST

FCI stuck with 24m tonnes of poor wheat
Since 90% of grain procured this year were under relaxed norms, these stocks have a shorter shelf life and must be used in 8 to 10 months.
NEW DELHI: The Food Corporation of India (FCI) is saddled with 27 million tonnes of wheat. Since 90% of grain procured this year were under relaxed norms, these stocks have a shorter shelf life and must be used in 8 to 10 months.

FCI, sources said, is releasing these stocks to the public distribution system (PDS). This grain is shrivelled, broken and lacks lustre and the challenge is to release the grain into the market in less than a year.

Officials said PDS needs roughly 20 million tonnes and FCI has to sell the rest in the open market.

But officials say they're worried over imports of wheat, which sells cheaper than the government-fixed rates of FCI wheat.

"If we allow more wheat to be imported by private players over and above what they've already lined up, there'll be fewer takers for FCI grain. This will result in huge waste and losses to the public exchequer," an official said.

The government, he said, should come out with a norm stipulating that the price of imported wheat can't be less than the price at which FCI is offering the grain in the open market.



"The government took a bold step relaxing norms to help farmers whose crops were hit in the unseasonal rain and hailstorm. There's need to protect domestic interest," said another official.

TOI has learnt that private players have concluded contracts to import about 5 lakh tonnes of wheat and so far about 67,000 tonnes have been imported. Another 50,000 tonnes are likely to reach India soon.

"Going by this trend we feel imports would be around 5 lakh tonne in this fiscal. Some import is needed to make maida and suji. The imports can be mixed with the domestic wheat which has suffered luster loss for this purpose," said a government official.

Read this article in Hindi: FCI की बड़ी चुनौती, कैसे निपटाएगा इतना गेहूं

SOURCE: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/FCI-stuck-with-24m-tonnes-of-poor-wheat/articleshow/47857533.cms

ARTICLE : ‘Sarso mein IP ka tadka’ leaves local farmers in the dock

GM MUSTARD
As debates around genetically modified (GM) mustard pick up in India, Shalini Bhutani takes a look at the neglected diversity of the oilseed mustard crop on native farmers’ fields and points to the bias of the existing law.

Can the provisions on farmers’ rights in India’s intellectual property (IP) law on plant varieties help promote farmers’ varieties? While millions of people in India temper their daily diets with mustard oil and seeds, IP politics continues to temper the broader issue.

As of 3 June 2015, 54 applications for farmers’ varieties (FV) of Sarso were received (through 2010-2015) by the National Plant Authority in Delhi. The large number of varieties is evidence of the grassroots’ innovation in this crop. It also reflects the crop diversity that exists in the Indian fields. But if the government and the public sector do not promote these FVs, this diversity will continue to remain only on paper. Farmers would then have no incentive to continue to conserve and grow local varieties.

The Indian Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPVFR) Act, 2001 Act defines a ‘farmer’s variety’ (FV) as that which has been traditionally cultivated and evolved by the farmers in their fields, or is a wild relative or land race or a variety about which the farmers possess common knowledge. According to the Act, an FV can be applied for by any farmer(s) or group of farmers or community of farmers claiming to be the breeder of the variety. The word extant meaning still in existence, by definition under the law [Section 2(j)] refers to those varieties that in India are either:
(i) notified under section 5 of the Seeds Act, 1966; or
(ii) farmers’ variety; or
(iii) a variety about which there is common knowledge; or
(iv) any other variety which is in public domain.

Indian Mustard was notified by the Ministry of Agriculture as a crop eligible for IP protection on 30 April 2010.The notification was issued by the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC) under the Indian law - Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPVFR) Act, 2001. This implies that the National PPVFR Authority functioning under the Ministry was ready to receive applications for IP registration of varieties of Indian Mustard, both Sarso (Brassica juncea) and Karan Rai (Brassica kurinata).

Politics of Time
Once a crop is so notified, there are time limits prescribed for the registration of farmers’ varieties (FV) and extant varieties (EV). FVs may be registered within five years after the date of crop notification. In other words, FVs of Sarso were eligible for plant variety protection (PVP) till 29 April 2015. Likewise, EVs can be registered up to three years after notification, which in this case means that they were eligible till 29 April 2013.

The PPVFR Rules, 2003, were specifically amended by the PPVFR (Second Amendment) Rules dated 27 October 2009 to notify these time-bound schedules. However, the amendment gives the Registrar the power to register FVs or EVs even after the expiry of the prescribed five and three years respectively, provided he records his reasons in writing.

New varieties (NV) of a notified crop may be registered at any time after a crop is so notified. There is no time limit prescribed for that. The NV however must conform to the criteria of ‘NDUS’ - novelty, distinctiveness, uniformity and stability.

Effect of PVP registration
When an application for such IP registration is accepted, the registrar issues a certificate of registration in the prescribed form. It is valid for six years in the case of crops. It may be reviewed and renewed upon payment of fees as fixed by the rules made in this regard. This is subject to the condition that the total period of validity shall not exceed fifteen years.

During the term of registration, the Act grants the breeder of the variety or his successor, his agent or licensee the exclusive right to produce, sell, market, distribute, import or export the registered variety. These are clearly a set of rights vis-à-vis the ‘formal’ seed market.

In the case of an extant variety, unless a breeder or his successor has established his right, the Central Government shall be deemed to be the owner of such right. In cases where such extant variety is notified for a state or any area thereof, the rights will accrue to the state government.

What this means is that if farmers choose not to seek IP on the varieties they have developed, or do not have the wherewithal to make an application to the PPVFR Authority, they are at risk of losing both credit for their innovation and any chance of receiving a share in benefits, if the variety is used for commercialization by someone else.
Popular protests against the genetically modified (GM) Mustard. Pic: Sarson Satyagraha
A farmer-friendly law?
If one looks at recent data in the above context, two issues of significance emerge. First, within the window of time for registration of FVs of Indian Mustard, only one FV – Sitara Sringar, was granted the plant variety certificate (No.812 of 2014). It is that of Shri Hukum Singh Lodha from Village Sitara, Tehsil Kumher, District Bharatpur in Rajasthan.

Second, in sharp contrast to the single FV, a total of forty-six extant varieties have been registered under the Act and granted IP by the PPVFR Authority as of 31 March 2015. Most of these registered EVs belong to the ICAR and state agricultural universities (SAUs). One of these forty-six is the plant variety certificate (No. 350 of 2014) granted to Dhara Mustard Hybrid-1 (DMH-1) applied for jointly in 2013 by the National Dairy Development Board along with the University of Delhi, South Campus.

Private competition and the GM controversy
Let us now put this in larger perspective.
The seed industry obviously does not want competition from farmers. If a farmer-breeder develops a ‘new’ variety after five years, s/he too has to file for fresh registration under the category of new variety (NV) as a seed company would. Seed companies have applied for PVP for 25 varieties under the ‘new’ category, which are now being processed by the Authority.

Through 2013-2015 ten Indian Mustard varieties applied for by private seed companies were also granted PVP. In fact, the PVP certificates were granted beyond the cut-off date of 29 April 2013 for registration of extant varieties of Sarso, as shown by the table below based on data as of 3 June 2015:
Table: Registrations of Indian Mustard varieties by private seed companies
 
No.
Variety
Category
Company
Applied
Granted
1
Coral 432 (PAC 432)
Extant
Advanta India Ltd.
2012
20 May 2013
2
Palak
Extant (VCK)*
Nirmal Seeds Pvt. Ltd.
2011
2 Dec 2014
3
Parasmani-1
Extant (VCK)
M/s Shakti Vardhak Hybrid Seeds Pvt. Ltd.
2012
3 Dec 2014
4
Ladli
Extant (VCK)
Shakti Vardhak Seed Pvt. Ltd.
2012
6 Dec 2014
5
Black Gold (NML-100)
Extant (VCK)
Nirmal Seeds Pvt. Ltd.
2011
11 Dec 2014
6
Albeli-1
Extant (VCK)
Shakti Vardhak Seed Pvt. Ltd.
2012
15 Dec 2014
7
Parasmani-8
Extant (VCK)
Shakti Vardhak Seed Pvt. Ltd.
2012
17 Dec 2014
8
Parasmani-2
Extant (VCK)
M/s Shakti Vardhak Hybrid Seeds Pvt. Ltd.
2012
27 Jan 2015
9
44S01
Extant (VCK)
Pioneer Overseas Corporation
2010
25 Mar 2015
10
Nirmal Bold (NML-64)
Extant (VCK)
Nirmal Seeds Pvt. Ltd.
2013
27 Apl 2015
* VCK – Variety of common knowledge
Source:  Compiled by the author from data available on the PPVFR Authority web site

Mustard hybrids and the frenzy around their IP applications as detailed above gain greater significance in the context of the controversy around genetically modified (GM) crops in India.
A GM Brassica juncea mustard hybrid (DMH 11) has been developed by the Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (CGMCP), University of Delhi, South Campus. The mustard hybrid has reportedly completed Biosafety Research Level (BRL) II trials, which in the Indian biosafety regulatory parlance is the penultimate research stage, before the variety can be considered for commercial cultivation. The developers of this GM variety have applied for and been granted several patents on different aspects of this ‘invention’ both in India and the USA.

However, Section 29(3) of the PPVFR Act expressly excludes crop varieties with GURT or ‘terminator technology’ from IP protection. The Act classifies genetic use restriction technology (GURT) and terminator as a technology that is injurious to the life or health of human beings, animals or plants. It also clearly lays down that no variety of any genus or species that involves GURT will be registered.
Meanwhile, the go-slow by the Authority on the applications of FVs of Sarso can only be inferred as keeping at bay apparent competition for the hybrids and GM varieties waiting to be marketed both by the public and private sector.

Key Questions
In the light of the above, a number of key questions arise:
  • Why have the other pending applications for farmers’ varieties of Indian Mustard not been granted PVP certificates? And why isn’t the only FV registered so far being supported and popularised by the public sector?
  • What are the valid reasons the Registrar of Plant Varieties can give for the grant of PVP to companies for EVs beyond the date of expiry for registration of extant varieties of Indian Mustard?
  • If the implementation of the PPVFR Act through its rules and regulations is visibly inclined towards IP protection of varieties developed by the seed industry – public or private, then why is it (still) called a ‘Farmers’ Rights’ Act?
  • Law and politics around IP on plant varieties aside, with farmers varieties consistently denied access to the domestic market, will Indian consumers ever taste what the country’s native farmers grow?

NEWS : 15 years on, Meghal flows again












Full Article

Sunday, June 28, 2015

Jeevan Vidya Workshop at Dharwad, Karnataka, October 3-10, 2015.

Dharwad Sukhi Jeevan Group
invites you to 
a Workshop on Jeevan Vidya
 
Facilitated by Vinish Gupta 
from October 3-10, 2015
 at Dharwad, Karnataka



About the workshop:
A Jeevan Vidya workshop is an intensive 40-hour learning experience that seeks to bring one's attention to neglected and subtle facets of life; issues related to interpersonal relations, education, society, environment, aspirations, success are discussed and participants are provided critical tools to help them explore the rich web of connections between seemingly disparate aspects of life. It is a process of guided introspection, of 'doing philosophy' rather than studying it. There is no sermonizing; the facilitator presents sets of proposals, and helps participants bring their attention to bear on the inner workings of their thoughts, fears and aspirations. Gradually one begins to interrogate hidden assumptions and get a sharper, clearer view of the whole intricate fabric of life; one begins to see new possibilities for positive human action. The idea is to trigger an empowering, self-critical inner dialogue that begins with the workshop, but doesn't end with it…

This is a residential workshop hosted at Dharwad, Karnataka. There is only room for about 30 participants, so please register as early as possible. It is important that you attend the whole workshop from start to finish as each day builds on the previous one.

The Facilitator:
This workshop will be facilitated by Vinish Gupta, who leads the Centre for Holistic Learning. He has been involved with various social and environmental movements in the past. In his youth he spent over a decade as a Buddhist monk, exploring traditional Indian systems of thought and living. His current interests include value education, and design of environmentally sound systems and technologies.

What to bring:
Bring personal clothing, umbrella, water bottle, towel, toiletries, mosquito-net/repellent, and any interesting materials from your organization to share and anything creative that you like to do to share with others.

This event is run on gift culture. Participants are invited to contribute what they can (towards the cost of organising the workshop which is approximately Rs.3500 per person for food and stay); learning scholarships are available to those who need them. And if you can, your additional contribution will help to support other people's participation. No one will be refused due to money constraints.

यह कार्यशाला हिंदी में होगी . (This workshop will be conducted in Hindi).

To register for the workshop, please fill in the online form.


Participants from Dharwad may contact any of the following to participate:
1. Dr Sanjeev Kulkarni - 9448143100 (7 pm to 9 pm only)
2. Shri Santosh Oswal - 9880139840 (5 pm to 8 pm only)
3. Shri Sanjeevkumar Patil - 9448231960 (Email: info@tarangscientificinstruments.com )

Please note that the workshop is of an integrated nature and has to be attended in its entirety. It may not be attended partially.
Here is how to reach Dharwad. It is ideal for participants to arrive by the evening of the 2nd October itself; they may leave after lunch of 10th October 2015.
If you intend to travel by train, please note that train bookings now open 4 months in advance of the travel date, so we advise you not to delay making the necessary bookings!

Best wishes,
Dharwad Sukhi Jeevan Group




धारवाड़ सुखी जीवन समूह ,

द्वारा आयोजित   

धारवाड़, कर्णाटक

में

जीवन विद्या शिविर

3-10 अक्टूबर 2015




शिविर के बारे में:

जीवन विद्या शिविर (करीब 40 घंटे की अवधि की) एक गहरे अध्ययन की प्रक्रिया है, जिसमे जीवन के मौलिक परन्तु प्रायः उपेक्षित पहलुओं पर ध्यान केंद्रित किया जाता है। आपसी सम्बन्ध, शिक्षा, समाज, प्रकृति, लक्ष्य, सफलता आदि पर एक गहरा संवाद होता है जिसके द्वारा प्रतिभागियों को ज़िन्दगी के भिन्न प्रतीत होने वाले पहलुओं के बीच की कड़ियाँ पहचानने व समझने का अवसर मिलता है। कोई प्रवचन या उपदेश नही होता। प्रबोधक द्वारा कुछ प्रस्ताव प्रस्तुत किये जाते हैं, और प्रतिभागियों को उनके आतंरिक विचारों, भयों, सम्भ्राँतियों, आकांक्षाओं आदि को जांचने में सहयोग किया जाता है।  क्रमशः ढेर सारी छिपी मान्यताएं उजागर होने लगती हैं और व्यक्ति को ज़िन्दगी के सूक्ष्म ताने बाने का एक नयी स्पष्टता से दर्शन होने लगता है; मानव में सकारात्मक सृजनशक्ति की नयी संभावनाओं का बोध होने लगता है।  एक सशक्त चिंतन-यात्रा का शिविर में प्रारम्भ तो होता है पर अंत नही …


यह 8-दिवसीय पूर्णकालिक आवासीय शिविर है। धारवाड़, कर्णाटक में आयोजित इस शिविर में कुल 30 प्रतिभागियों के लिए स्थान हैं, इस लिए पूर्व पंजीकरण करें।  

शिविर में पूर्णकालिक प्रतिभागिता अनिवार्य है, आंशिक प्रतिभागिता की अनुमति नही है।

शिविर के दौरान स्वैच्छिक श्रमदान करने का व व्यक्तिगत हुनरों के आदान-प्रदान का भी अवसर रहेगा।


प्रबोधक:

इस शिविर में प्रबोधन श्री विनीश गुप्ता करेंगे। वे लम्बे समय से विभिन्न सामाजिक व पर्यावरणीय अभियानों से जुड़े रहे हैं। करीब दस वर्ष तक वे बौद्ध परंपरा में भिक्षु भी रहे, जिस दौरान उन्हें भारतीय विचारधाराओं व तौर तरीकों को समझने का अवसर मिला।

विनीश को उनके कार्यों में सहयोग मिलता है उनकी पत्नी करुणा मुरारजी से। शिक्षा का मानव संभावनाओं व विकास के साथ सम्बन्ध समझने में लम्बे समय से करुणा की रूचि रही है। अन्य विषय जिनके अध्ययन में वे रूचि रखती हैं: आहार, फ़िल्में, प्रक्रिया/इतिहास विश्लेषण, और सीखने-सिखाने व जीने के सामूहिक तौर तरीके।


साथ लाएं:

निजी वस्त्र, पानी की बोतल, तौलिया, साबुन आदि निजी उपयोग का सामान, आपके संस्था / कार्य से सम्बंधित सामग्री, व कुछ भी रचनात्मक जो आप को दूसरों के साथ करना / बांटना अच्छा लगता है।

यह शिविर 'उपहार संस्कृति' पर आधारित है। यानि इस शिविर के लिए कोई निश्चित अनिवार्य शुल्क नही है।  हर प्रतिभागी पर करीब रुपए 3500 का खर्च आता है।  जिन्हे आवश्यकता हो उनके लिए छात्रवृत्तियां/सहयोग उपलब्ध हैं।  आप अधिक योगदान का सामर्थ्य रखते हों तो आपके योगदान से अन्य लोगों की प्रतिभागिता सुनिश्चित होने में सहयोग रहेगा।  

आर्थिक असमर्थता के कारण किसी की प्रतिभागिता बाधित नही होने दी जाएगी।  


इस शिविर में भाग लेने के लिए यह ऑनलाइन फॉर्म भरें। 


धारवाड़ से प्रतिभागी पंजीकरण हेतु इन से भी संपर्क कर सकते हैं:

1 . डॉ. संजीव कुलकर्णी - 9448143100 (सायं 7 से 9 बजे )
2 . श्री संतोष ओसवाल - 9880139840 (सायं 5 से 8 बजे )
3. श्री संजीवकुमार पाटिल - 9448231960 (इ-मेल : info@tarangscientificinstruments.com )


धारवाड़  पहुँचने के बारे में जानकारी यहाँ है। उत्तम होगा यदि प्रतिभागी 2 अक्टूबर की शाम तक ही पहुँच पाएं। वे 10 अक्टूबर को दोपहर के भोजन उपरांत वापस लौट सकते हैं।  यदि आप रेल से यात्रा करने वाले हैं तो ध्यान रहे कि टिकटें यात्रा तिथि के 4 महीने पूर्व मिलनी शुरू हो जाती हैं, इस लिए अपनी यात्रा की टिकटें बुक करवाने में विलम्ब न करें !


शुभ कामनाएं

धारवाड़ सुखी जीवन समूह






--
Centre for Holistic Learning
Jeevanshala Trust, "Nagalaxmi",
Hulekal Village, Sirsi-581336. Karnataka. India.
Tel: 08283-240147.
Cell: +91.8762071817

http://www.jeevanshala.org/





Saturday, June 27, 2015

NEWS : Conspiracy against mustard

Friday, 26 June 2015 - 6:30am IST | Place: Mumbai | Agency: dna | From the print edition
Devinder Sharma

India doesn't need genetically modified mustard to boost its already robust production     
  • Reuters
When winter comes, I crave for sarson ka saag. As far as I can remember, even when I got my first job, my mother would send me a container full of saag that would last me for a week or so. I could eat saag with every meal, or at least once a day, a habit that I have not given up since I was a child. But why I am sharing this insight into my culinary taste and preference is because I fear I may soon have to give up on one of my favourite foods.

With the Ministry of Environment & Forests reportedly considering granting a commercial approval to genetically-modified (GM) mustard, I certainly wouldn’t like to take a risk anymore. Knowing the health risks associated with GM foods, I would like to keep away. I am sure millions of north Indians, who are known to have a taste for makki ki roti and sarson ka saag, too, would be greatly disappointed. After all, there is no desperate reason to genetically modify a food crop that has traditionally been a part of the daily cuisine. Moreover, there is no way to segregate the GM mustard from normal mustard to ensure that what I am eating is not genetically modified.

Five years after the Ministry of Environment & Forests had, in 2010, imposed a moratorium on Bt brinjal, which if approved would have been the first food crop in India to be genetically modified, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), the nodal agency that grants approvals, is getting ready to give a green signal to Delhi University’s GM Mustard variety DMH-11. The claim is that this GM Mustard gives 20-25 per cent higher yield, and also improves the quality of mustard oil. It is time to examine the veracity of these claims.

Claims notwithstanding, it is also time to first understand how easily our food is being tampered in the name of increasing crop productivity. The fact of the matter is that there is no GM crop so far across the globe that increases productivity. Even in GM Mustard, the increase in yield that is being claimed, is simply because of the hybrid variety in which the three alien genes have been inserted. Which means if you grow one of the popular mustard hybrids already available in the market, you will hardly have any yield advantage.

It is being repeatedly said that India imports edible oils worth Rs60,000-crore every year and, therefore,  with an increased productivity of GM Mustard, the import bill will be reduced. For those who do not know the real situation, this looks to be a worthwhile proposition. But what is not known is that the huge imports are not because of any shortage of technology or because farmers are unable to produce more. It is simply because successive governments have allowed import duties to be drastically cut from the applicable rate of 300 per cent to almost zero now. As a result, India has been inundated with cheaper imports.

It was in 1985 that the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi decided to launch an Oilseeds Technology Mission to raise the productivity of oilseed crops, including mustard, so as to reduce the import bill. In 1985, India was importing approximately Rs15,000-crore of edible oils, which was roughly 50 per cent of our domestic requirement. This was the third biggest import bill — after petrol and fertilisers — that Rajiv Gandhi was keen to curb. The result was that 10 years after the launch of the Oilseeds Mission, in 1993-94, India became almost self-sufficient in edible oils. With only 3 per cent imports, 97 per cent of edible oils began to be produced within the country.

The cut in import tariffs was not as much from WTO directive but more because of autonomous liberalisation. As per WTO norms, India’s import tariffs for edible oils are bound at 300 per cent. But for reasons that do not make any economic sense, India’s import tariffs have been gradually brought down to almost zero. With cheaper imports coming in, farmers stopped cultivating oilseeds and also much of the processing infrastructure for oilseeds lies redundant. The best way to increase oilseeds production therefore is to raise the import tariffs and provide an enabling environment to farmers. They will do the rest.

Mustard is one of the many oilseeds crops that are grown in India. Over the years, its productivity and production has been on an upswing. In 2010-11, a record mustard production of 81.8 lakh tonnes was harvested.  From 9.04 quintals per hectare in 1990-91, average mustard yield has increased to 12.62 quintals in 2013-14, with Gujarat recording 16.95 quintals per hectare. There is no shortage of mustard in the country. Mustard yields can still be increased further if farmers are paid a remunerative price and an adequate mandi infrastructure is created to procure the harvest every year. Since almost 70 per cent of the mustard crop is cultivated in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana, the problem farmers face is that of over-production and lack of buyers. In Rajasthan, particularly, the central agency Nafed has been pressed into service time and again to procure mustard when prices crash at times of an unmanageable glut.

Mustard oil is one of the healthiest of the edible oils available. It contains one of the lowest levels of saturated fatty acids. But the problem mustard oil faces as far as quality is concerned is its large scale contamination with cheaper cottonseed and palm oils. To provide pungency, some popular brands, add a solution of red chillies.  Improving the quality of mustard oil, therefore, does not require genetic modification but a clean-up in the processing industry and checking unethical trade practices. It needs a crackdown on the oilseeds trade to ensure that quality oil is made available.

Increasing production of oilseed crops like mustard, thereby cutting down on edible oil imports, does not require introduction of GM Mustard. Even the Shanta Kumar committee has in its report on ‘Restructuring FCI’ dwelt on this issue and recommended trade policies to be in tune with country’s food self-sufficiency. I therefore wonder why GEAC is so keen to push another risky food crop down our throats. Why should people be subjected to a risky food just so some scientists can claim credit for producing an unwanted, unhealthy and environmentally damaging GM crop?

The author is a food policy expert
 
SOURCE : http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-conspiracy-against-mustard-2098894

Thursday, June 25, 2015

NEWS : Illegal Bt cotton seeds seized from stores

,TNN | Jun 24, 2015, 03.28 AM IST

NAGPUR: Even as Monsanto awaits approval for its two new varieties of genetically modified (GM) cotton seeds, illegal versions have already flooded the market.

Each pack of approximately 500 grams is being sold at a price ranging from 900 to 1000. The approved Bt seeds, on the other hand, are available for 830 to 730. The state government has cut the rates by Rs100 this season to ease burden on farmers.

Last week, the state agriculture department seized seven bags of illegal seeds from a Krishi Seva Kendra (licensed farm input shop) in Bela tehsil. Similar action was taken in Mouda after that. These seeds have been illegally available in the market since last three years, said sources. An official in agriculture department said the first seizure was made in Wardha last year.

The seeds are being sold as Bollgard III or Bollgard II RRF. Monsansto has got approval for only Bollgard I and Bollgard II versions. The other two are in different stages of getting permissions.

Market sources say the supply is coming from Gujarat, where some companies are illegally cultivating the GM seeds. In majority of cases, it is the BollgardII RRF seed, which promises to provide resistance to cotton plants against weed killing chemicals.

Marketing efforts by Gujarat companies have intensified this year, said Vijay Jawandhia, a Shetkari Sanghatana veteran. Clearing weeds is a major cost, and high wages of labourers have prompted farmers to use more weedicides.

Agriculture department is unure if the seeds are actually genetically modified or simply fake. Samples were sent for testing to city-based Central Institute of Cotton Research (CICR), which however did not oblige. The agency said it was not authorized to conduct the tests, said a department official.

However, earlier independent tests have shown that these are hybrid varieties of the genetically modified BGII RRF plants sourced from the US.

"The seeds are nicknamed as Chor (fake) BT by farmers and are sold in plain packets without any guarantee. The results have been mixed though," said Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS).

In reply to TOI's email, a spokesperson of Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech (MMB) said the company was not aware about any seizure of Bollgard III Bt cotton seeds in Nagpur. The company has been conducting extensive awareness campaigns against harmful effects of illegal seeds.

The spokesperson later said over the phone that Bollgard II RRF developed by Monsanto is in various stages of trials in the country. The company has got nod to conduct trials of Bollgard III from the genetic engineering appraisal committee (GEAC) under ministry of environment and forest (MoEF). They need permissions from state governments before further trials.

Agriculture department sources say their job is limited to seizure. Local police, which have registered offences, should investigate and track the companies, they said.

SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Illegal-Bt-cotton-seeds-seized-from-stores/articleshow/47792296.cms

Monday, June 22, 2015

NEWS : Bt Cotton responsible for suicides in rain-fed areas, says study

Updated: June 21, 2015 12:26 IST | Vidya Venkat
The Hindu

Annual suicide rates of farmers in rain-fed areas are directly related to increase in Bt Cotton adoption, say scientists. File photo: Kamal Narang | The Hindu

The cultivation of Bt cotton, a genetically modified, insect-resistant cotton variety, is a risky affair for Indian farmers practising rain-fed agriculture, according to a latest study published by California-based agricultural scientists in the journal Environmental Sciences Europe.

Annual suicide rates of farmers in rain-fed areas are directly related to increase in Bt cotton adoption, say the study’s authors Andrew Paul Gutierrez, Luigi Ponti, Hans R. Herren, Johann Baumgärtner and Peter E. Kenmore, who are associated with the University of California, Berkeley, and the Centre for the Analysis of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, California. 

Revisiting the raw annual suicide data for Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Maharashtra during the period 2001–2010, the authors found 86,607 of 549,414 suicides were by farmers, and 87 % were males with the numbers peaking in the 30–44 age class. Total suicides per year per state were regressed singly on states averages of proportion of area seeded to rainfed cotton, average farm size, cotton growing area, area of Bt cotton, proportion of area with Bt cotton, and simulated average yield/ha that includes the effects of weather. Excluding the proportion of area seeded to rainfed cotton, linear multiple regression shows suicides decrease with increasing farm size and yield but increase with the area under Bt cotton, the authors note. 

The study is significant for two reasons: first, most cotton cultivation in India is rain-fed. Second, between 2002 and 2010, the adoption of Bt cotton hybrid went up significantly to 86 per cent of the total cultivated area of cotton in India, according to International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications.

Though cultivating the Bt cotton variety may be economic in irrigated areas, the costs of Bt seed and insecticide increase the risk of farmer bankruptcy in low-yield rain-fed settings. Further the inability to “use saved seed and inadequate agronomic information trap cotton farmers on biotechnology and insecticide treadmills,” the authors note.

The study also challenges the common assumption in economic analyses that cotton pests must be controlled to prevent monetary losses, thus encouraging Bt cotton adoption. The annual emergence of the key cotton pest pink bollworm in spring is poorly timed to attack rain-fed cotton and large populations of the pest fail to develop in non-Bt rain-fed cotton, the authors note. This reduces and usually prevents the need for Bt cotton and disruptive insecticides. The authors recommend that high-density short-season cottons could increase yields and reduce input costs in irrigated and rain-fed cotton.

Bt cotton has been shown to improve cotton yields by past studies, such as the one conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute in 2012. This study, examining the contribution of Bt cotton adoption to long-term average cotton yields in India in nine cotton-producing States from 1975 to 2009, showed that Bt cotton contributed 19 per cent of total yield growth over time, since its introduction in 2002.

However, experts have responded to the new Berkeley study with concern. Former Union Environment and Rural Development Minister and Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh told The Hindu that India, now being the second largest country in the world cultivating Bt cotton, cannot afford to ignore the findings of this new study. “These findings call for serious discussion relating to the GM crop’s long-term sustainability in Indian agriculture,” he said.

Agricultural expert M.S. Swaminathan said the merits of Bt cotton adoption remain debatable as some have approved it for giving better yield, while some question the claim. “However, I support the adoption of higher yielding crop varieties as most of our cotton farmers are small farmers who need better yields to earn profits. Back in 2004, I had advised seed companies selling hybrid cotton to farmers to also sell insurance schemes alongside, so that if crops fail for reasons beyond the farmer’s control, they can recover losses. But these recommendations remain to be adopted widely.”

SOURCE : http://m.thehindu.com/news/national/bt-cotton-responsible-for-suicides-in-rainfed-areas-says-study/article7337684.ece