Farmer’s body flouts GM seed rule, plants variant of brinjal

Since 2019, the farmer’s body has publicly been flouting the rules by planting unauthorised GM variants of cotton, brinjal and mustard seeds. The Sanghtana said the seeds are available at a higher-than-normal rate, but farmers often end up duped by fly-by-night operators. It said that access to technology is a fundamental right and farmers should be allowed to access the latest technology for their agricultural practices.

India’s laws do not allow commercial planting of non-approved GM variants although farmers say such variants have several advantages over the normal commercially available variants. To date, India has approved only BT cotton to be introduced commercially and this genetically modified crop has managed to cover almost 99 per cent of the cotton fields in the country.

The organisation has stepped up its demand for the introduction of HT BT cotton (the next generation of BT cotton), which they say will help address the labour problem facing the sector.   The Sanghatana has claimed that over 40 per cent of Maharashtra’s cotton is now under the unauthorized HT-BT.

Seed industry sources say that of the 4-4.5 crore packets of seeds needed for the Kharif season, around 60-65 lakh packets are of the unauthorized hybrid variant.

Anil Ghanwat, President, Shektari Sanghtana said that they will continue their agitation until the government authorises GM crop. “Across the world, GM crops are allowed. All we are asking for is the government to allow technology to be allowed in India,” he said.