www.czu.cz ; www.raupp.info

NEW DELHI - The National Commission for Farmers Chairman Dr M S Swaminathan
today called for evolving an insurance policy for the genetically modified
(GM) crops as GM seeds and new technology entail enhanced costs and risks,
August 2004.

He said several other GM crops were in the pipeline for seeking clearance
for commercial cultivation after Bt cotton, which made it necessary to have
such an insurance policy in place.

The National Insurance Policy for Crops and Farmers Income Insurance Scheme
are in initial stages and could not cover the risks involved in growing of
GM crops by the Indian farmers, Dr Swaminathan said at a press conference
here.

Therefore, Dr Swaminathan said, an insurance scheme, specially tailored for
the GM crops should be put in place as GM seeds and new technology entailed
enhanced risk areas.

The GM seed manufacturing sector is being globally controlled by the private
enterprise, particularly by multinationals. The GM seeds are a costly
proposition as a 400 gram pack of Bt cotton costs around Rs 1,200 and two
packets are needed for sowing an acre of cotton.

Appropriate legal measures are also needed to compensate the farmer in case
GM seeds fail to deliver the pronounced results, he added.

The Bt cotton allowed for commercial cultivation in 2002 is now covering
around 40,000 hectares in the country.

Dr Swaminathan, heading a Task Force on application of biotechnology in
agriculture, however, favoured the infusion of new technology to maintain
enterprise competitive but with a caution as transgenics could have short
and long-term impacts on human health and the environment.

He said biotech applications, which do not involve transgenics such as
biopesticides, biofertilizers and bio-remediation agents should be accorded
high priority. This will help improve productivity of organic farming.

India could emulate China in making public investment in GM seed technology
and supply cotton seeds to small and marginal farmers at affordable prices.

The China experiment in this regard was a successful story that has enhanced
area under Bt cotton to 60 per cent of the total cotton acreage in that
country with 12 million small farmers adopted to GM cotton.

[www.thehindubusinessline.com]

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