HT cotton seeds available in almost all rural areas

Nagpur: Amid the lockdown, illegal herbicide tolerant (HT) seeds have once again made their way into the Vidarbha hinterland.
As cotton sowing is set to begin, agents from Telangana and Gujarat have starting sending consignments into Vidarbha. Even as farmers say that the quantity has gone down, they do not deny the availability. Sources say since seeds come under essential commodities, even illegal varieties are being easily transported through state borders.
On June 12, Shetkari Sangathana — a farmers’ organization has planned a countrywide agitation in which HT seeds will be openly sowed by its members. The outfit had organized a similar agitation starting from Akola district last year. Shetkari Sangathana has been demanding that government legalize HT seeds.
A genetically modified variety — HT seeds sprout cotton plants that are tolerant to glyphosate-based herbicides. Commercial use of the seeds is not allowed in the country. The technology was mooted by Mahyco Monsanto Biotech Limited (MMBL), but it withdrew the application in 2016, over issues related to licence fee.
With no applicant, even the government cannot give a green signal to its use. The seeds are, however, easily available in the black market since last four cotton seasons.
Shetkari Sangathana members said the seeds are openly available this season too and will be used in the sowing campaign planned on June 12. The outfit calls it stance a ‘civil disobedience movement’. The law will be openly flouted by sowing HT seeds. Last year, the police had booked 16 persons including seed traders. The Sangathana later secured a court direction preventing action against farmers.
Anil Ghanawat, president of Shetkari Sangathana, said this year not only HT cotton but soyabean, brinjal and maize will also be sowed. The drive will be held in other parts of the country also.
Ghanawat said the seeds are available through channels in Gujarat.
“On Saturday, police and agriculture department officials laid a trap to arrest a farmer in Adegaon village of Akola but no HT seeds could be found with him,” said Lalit Mahalle, a farmer from the same district. Mahalle was the first to sow HT seeds under the Shetkari Sangathana campaign last year, and had been booked.
Manish Jadhav from Wagad-Ijara of Mahagaon taluka of Yavatmal said he had already sowed HT seeds on his farm. Jhadhav, however, refused to disclose the source.
Rajesh Padalkar, a farmer in Yavatmal not related to Shetkari Sangathana, said the seeds are available through the bordering districts of Telangana.
Bhagirath Chaudhary, director of South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC), said, “There was a rampant black market in 2017, which came down in 2018 following stricter vigil by the authorities. A number of farmers in Banaskantha and Sabarkantha in Gujarat had grown seeds in 2019, when Shetkari Sangathana had held its campaign.”
CANCER CONCERN
A section of activists have expressed concern that use of HT seeds can lead to cancer. This is because it will increase use of glyphosate, which they claim is carcinogenic. The producers have, however, refuted the theory.
In US, a groundskeeper, Dewayne Johnson was awarded $78 million compensation after he filed a case claiming that glyphosate-based weed killer had caused him cancer.