LDF sees red as CPM kisan leader defends GM crops

NEW DELHI: The CPM has made a significant shift in its stand on genetically modified crops, with the president of its Kisan Sabha, S Ramachadran Pillai, saying that it was unscientific to oppose modern plant breeding. The CPM has so far been on the side of those who claim that commercial breeders of transgenic crops are reducing biodiversity and significantly constraining farmers from trading seed at a regional level.

Addressing a session on agriculture at the party-sponsored International Congress on Kerala Studies at Thiruvananthapuram, Pillai, also a politburo member of the CPM, said it was wrong to argue that GM crops involved public safety issues.

The defence of GM crop by CPM leader assumes significance since the LDF government in Kerala has so far stiffly opposed even testing of GM crops in the rice fields in the state. Naturally, Pillai’s views triggered yet another controversy in the LDF with state agriculture minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran striking a sharply different note. According to Ratnakaran, there has been no evidence to show that the farm sector would benefit from GM crops. He said it would wipe out traditional seeds, forcing farmers to rely heavily on big corporates.

On his part, Pillai said it was vital to increase food production and turning against new forms of breeding will not help the farmer or the consumer. “Such seeds could be used after proper tests,” Pillai said. He said many countries, including China, has been using such seeds for increasing their agricultural production. As a measure to counter the exploitation of farmers by big corporates, the CPM leader suggested that the distribution of GM seeds could be done through a public sector agency.

India is currently among the world’s top five biotech nations. Worldwide, 55 countries have granted approvals for biotech crops since 1996.