Nagpur: Some activists of Shetkari Sangathana have threatened to sow the unauthorized, genetically modified (GM) varieties of pest-resistant brinjal and herbicide-tolerant (HT) cotton at a farm in Akot tehsil of Akola district on Monday. The farmer activists are demanding ‘access to the latest technology’, and comparing their action to the breaking of the salt law by Mahatma Gandhi after the Dandi march.
The Sangathana claims over 5,000 farmers will attend the event on Monday, to demand government approval for mass use of GM brinjal and cotton.
However, some farmer activists have accused the Sangathana of being funded by the GM lobby, funded by biotech multinationals. The pro-GM group accuses the opposition of being funded by pesticide makers, as use of GM seeds will reduce use of chemicals.
Two GM cotton varieties, Bt series that are resistant to bollworm pest, have been approved. The third — herbicide tolerant (HT), which is resistant to glyphosate-based chemical weed killer, is yet to get permissions. US biotech major Monsanto, which also developed the Bt seeds, withdrew from trials over three years ago, bringing the process to a standstill. However, both seeds are rampantly available through illegal channels.
The Sangathana says easy availability of the seeds itself shows they have gained acceptability among farmers, and approvals should not be held up.
The Sangathana, formed by Sharad Joshi, a firebrand farm leaders of 1980s, is championing for access to technology in the farm sector. Arun Ghanawat, who will lead Monday’s protest, said they will be sowing seeds in one acre land. “We cannot disclose the source of the seeds, as it will break the trust in the channel. We are aware it amounts to breaking the law, but we are ready to face action,” he said. Ghanawat denied the event was funded by any biotech company.
More such events are planned elsewhere in the state, and later in Punjab and Haryana. Former MLA and ex-Shetkari Sangathana veteran Vamanrao Chatap will also be present for Monday’s event.
On a query by TOI, Monsanto (now Bayer) promptly reverted, saying new innovations have enabled farmers across the world to address a number of challenges. India’s cotton farmers have benefited from both improved Bt varieties and continue to remain globally competitive. They have also consistently displayed a desire to use next generation technology, it said. However, the company also said cultivation of any unapproved variety will only set a bad precedent, the rules need to be followed.
Along with HT seeds, even glyphosate, to which it is resistant, is a Monsanto product.
Kishore Tiwari, chairman of state task force on farm distress, said not only farmers but views of even other stakeholders need to be considered. “Defying the law by sowing seeds is no solution. Authorities should act against the protesters,” he said.
Former Sangathana activist Vijay Jawandhia said, “If they call us ‘pesticide lobby’, they are the ‘GM lobby’.”
Ejaz Rao, a farmer and activist from Bhawalpur — the cotton growing area of Pakistan — said multinationals have been making a strong push for the GM seeds. “Activists in Pakistan have succeeded in stalling GM maize. If the seed was approved in Pakistan, there were plans to infiltrate it into India through Punjab. Already, Bt Brinjal grown in Bangladesh is reaching India,” he said. It’s a part of the seed makers’ strategy to proliferate a variety and then push for legal status, he said.
SEEDS OF A PROTEST
Bt Brinjal: Pest-resistant variety, not yet approved in India
HT cotton: Third in GM series by Monsanto, resistant to glyphosate (a weed killer, also made by Monsanto. Trials stopped by company)
WHAT STAKEHOLDERS SAY
SHEKTARI SANGATHANA: Allow farmers free access to tech; defying law to prove a point; illegal seeds have gained mass acceptability among farmers
ANTI-GM ACTIVISTS: Major concern that HT cotton and other varieties have health hazards; like farmers even consumers should have a say on consuming GM crops
MONSANTO (now a Bayer subsidiary): Farmers want to use next generation technology; cultivation of unapproved variety will set bad precedent; rules need to be followed
The Sangathana claims over 5,000 farmers will attend the event on Monday, to demand government approval for mass use of GM brinjal and cotton.
However, some farmer activists have accused the Sangathana of being funded by the GM lobby, funded by biotech multinationals. The pro-GM group accuses the opposition of being funded by pesticide makers, as use of GM seeds will reduce use of chemicals.
Two GM cotton varieties, Bt series that are resistant to bollworm pest, have been approved. The third — herbicide tolerant (HT), which is resistant to glyphosate-based chemical weed killer, is yet to get permissions. US biotech major Monsanto, which also developed the Bt seeds, withdrew from trials over three years ago, bringing the process to a standstill. However, both seeds are rampantly available through illegal channels.
The Sangathana says easy availability of the seeds itself shows they have gained acceptability among farmers, and approvals should not be held up.
The Sangathana, formed by Sharad Joshi, a firebrand farm leaders of 1980s, is championing for access to technology in the farm sector. Arun Ghanawat, who will lead Monday’s protest, said they will be sowing seeds in one acre land. “We cannot disclose the source of the seeds, as it will break the trust in the channel. We are aware it amounts to breaking the law, but we are ready to face action,” he said. Ghanawat denied the event was funded by any biotech company.
More such events are planned elsewhere in the state, and later in Punjab and Haryana. Former MLA and ex-Shetkari Sangathana veteran Vamanrao Chatap will also be present for Monday’s event.
On a query by TOI, Monsanto (now Bayer) promptly reverted, saying new innovations have enabled farmers across the world to address a number of challenges. India’s cotton farmers have benefited from both improved Bt varieties and continue to remain globally competitive. They have also consistently displayed a desire to use next generation technology, it said. However, the company also said cultivation of any unapproved variety will only set a bad precedent, the rules need to be followed.
Along with HT seeds, even glyphosate, to which it is resistant, is a Monsanto product.
Kishore Tiwari, chairman of state task force on farm distress, said not only farmers but views of even other stakeholders need to be considered. “Defying the law by sowing seeds is no solution. Authorities should act against the protesters,” he said.
Former Sangathana activist Vijay Jawandhia said, “If they call us ‘pesticide lobby’, they are the ‘GM lobby’.”
Ejaz Rao, a farmer and activist from Bhawalpur — the cotton growing area of Pakistan — said multinationals have been making a strong push for the GM seeds. “Activists in Pakistan have succeeded in stalling GM maize. If the seed was approved in Pakistan, there were plans to infiltrate it into India through Punjab. Already, Bt Brinjal grown in Bangladesh is reaching India,” he said. It’s a part of the seed makers’ strategy to proliferate a variety and then push for legal status, he said.
SEEDS OF A PROTEST
Bt Brinjal: Pest-resistant variety, not yet approved in India
HT cotton: Third in GM series by Monsanto, resistant to glyphosate (a weed killer, also made by Monsanto. Trials stopped by company)
WHAT STAKEHOLDERS SAY
SHEKTARI SANGATHANA: Allow farmers free access to tech; defying law to prove a point; illegal seeds have gained mass acceptability among farmers
ANTI-GM ACTIVISTS: Major concern that HT cotton and other varieties have health hazards; like farmers even consumers should have a say on consuming GM crops
MONSANTO (now a Bayer subsidiary): Farmers want to use next generation technology; cultivation of unapproved variety will set bad precedent; rules need to be followed
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