‘Greenpeace’, a
leading international environmental organization, today discussed
the issue of performance of Bt cotton with the Environment and
Forests Minister, Shri T.R.Baalu. The delegation of Greenpeace
led by its Political Director for India, Shri Prayag Joshi,
held one hour long discussions on various aspects of Bt cotton.
The discussions primarily focussed on the Expert Team Report
of the Genetic Engineering Advisory Committee (GEAC) of the
Ministry on the performance of Bt cotton in its first season
after its commercial introduction last year in the country.
Greenpeace raised
certain issues regarding yields, environmental impact and the
design, scope and methodology of the assessment study conducted
by the Expert Team of GEAC. Various issues raised by GEAC were
extensively discussed in the meeting which was also attended
by the concerned officials in the Ministry.
The Expert Team
after due field visits in November last year reported that the
performance of Bt cotton in terms of higher number of bolls
per plant, reduced number of sprays per control of bollworms
and higher yields harvested so far have been found to be satisfactory.
Bt cotton is being grown in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,
Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu in about 73,000 acres.
Based on the Expert Team Report, Shri T.R.Baalu had informed
the Parliament during last winter session that the performance
of Bt cotton has been found to be satisfactory. GEAC accorded
conditional clearance in March last year for the introduction
of three Bt cotton hybrids, viz. BT MECH 162, BT MECH 184 and
BT MECH 12 for a period of three years from April 2002 to March
2005. The conditions include plantation of specific number of
rows of non-Bt cotton around the Bt fields, monitoring the susceptibility
of boll worms to Bt gene etc.
The Monitoring
and Evaluation Committee set up by the Department of Biotechnology
evaluated the large scale field trials of Bt cotton. The Committee
constituted 10 monitoring teams comprising scientists, representatives
from State agricultural universities, experts from ICAR, IARI,
Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Environment and Forests,
etc. The Monitoring Teams visited 62 locations in 2001 and monitored
the trials. Between 1998 and 2002, the company that promoted
Bt cotton hybrids conducted 498 replicated, research and large
scale trials while the Indian Council of Agricultural Research
conducted 17 replicated trials before the GEAC permitted conditional
commercial introduction of Bt cotton hybrids into the country.
Shri Baalu assured
the Greenpeace delegation that the Ministry would always be
willing to receive inputs from them in respect of Bt cotton
for appropriate consideration.
