BT experiment in India has paid off well: agri scientist

Chennai, Sep 24 (PTI) The biotechnology (B.T.)experiment
in India has paid off well as the cotton crop yield has
increased from 13.7 million bales per hectare in 2002-03 to
23.4 million bales in 2006-07, prompting a senior agricultural
scientist to suggest that the experiment can be replicated in
other crops.
"B.T. crops are as safe as conventional crops and the
production of cotton, using this technology, has nearly
doubled from 13.7 million bales per hectare in 2002-03 to
23.4 million bales per hectare in 2006-2007," Indian
Agricultural Research Institute (I.A.R.I.) Professor K.C.
Bansal and National Research Centre Principal Scientist on
Plant Biotechnology told reporters here.
"The B.T. cotton experiment in India has paid off really
well and it is high time we replicate this concept to other
crops like rice and sorghum," he said, adding that B.T.
brinjal, which has stirred up quite a controversy, will go
commercial by 2009.
Among other benefits, B.T. crops enjoyed reduced
insecticide spraying and gave increased yield, he said, adding
the agricultural revolution would be possible only by
genetically modified crops (G.M.), also known as B.T. crops.
About criticisms from N.G.O.S. that the B.T. brinjal
tested on lab rats had resulted in health complications,
Bansal allayed such fears saying the trials are being
conducted under strict governmental supervision, and
permission for commercial production would not be given till
many safety criteria were satisfied.
Refuting reports of suicides by B.T. cotton farmers in
parts of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra allegedly after their
crops failed, Bansal claimed most of them had taken their
lives following the pressure from money-lenders while some
others did not have proper "education" on using the crops.
"It could be other socio-economic issues like loan with
high interest rates or spurious pesticides, but the technology
is proven," he claimed.
The country was world's second largest producer of cotton
and third largest exporter of the product, he said.
"As many as 12 million farmers in 23 countries are
benefiting from this technology," he said.
To a query why some private companies involved in the
business declined to furnish information even under the R.T.I.
on the seeds and crops, All India Crop Biotechnology
Association Director Sajiv Anand said: "They have a right not
to reveal information which they believe is confidential."
"They fear their idea may be copied by someone else," he
added. PTI SA
AMT