Now, Pawar bats for GM crops to meet food security
Even as agriculture minister Sharad Pawar accepted that the last word on Bt Brinjal was that of environment minister Jairam Ramesh, he made a strong case for genetically modified crops.
By ET Bureau |
NEW DELHI: Even as agriculture minister Sharad Pawar accepted that the last word on Bt Brinjal was that of environment minister Jairam Ramesh, he made a strong case for genetically modified crops.
Arguing in favour of the GM crops, Mr Pawar said that it could solve the country’s food security problem. The two ministers had crossed swords on the decision on the commercial introduction of Bt Brinjal.
In a strongest possible defence of GM crops, Mr Pawar took a position diametrically opposite to that of Mr Ramesh."Conventional technologies of agriculture are inadequate to meet the formidable challenges. The most compelling case for bio-technology, and more specifically transgenic crops, is their capability to increase crop productivity, lower production costs, conserve bio-diversity, efficient use of external inputs, and improvement of economic and social benefits and alleviation of abject poverty in poor and developing countries," the minister said.
Mr Pawar, who favoured introduction of the genetically modified brinjal, said described the moratorium on commercial release of Bt brinjal pending more tests as a “challenge”. Inaugurating the two-day conference of vice-chancellors of agricultural universities and meeting of directors of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the agriculture minister said, “the recent decision on Bt Brinjal should not be seen as a setback to our efforts, but a challenge which we need to surmount.”
He asked scientists to double efforts to remove all misgivings about GM crops from the minds of policy-makers and the public. "We have to improve our productivity in a situation when the population doubles and there is no possibility of additional land and water," Mr Pawar said.
Having made his case for GM crops, Mr Pawar said, “we will respect the decision taken by the environment ministry, which can give us the ultimate guidance.”
Arguing in favour of the GM crops, Mr Pawar said that it could solve the country’s food security problem. The two ministers had crossed swords on the decision on the commercial introduction of Bt Brinjal.
In a strongest possible defence of GM crops, Mr Pawar took a position diametrically opposite to that of Mr Ramesh."Conventional technologies of agriculture are inadequate to meet the formidable challenges. The most compelling case for bio-technology, and more specifically transgenic crops, is their capability to increase crop productivity, lower production costs, conserve bio-diversity, efficient use of external inputs, and improvement of economic and social benefits and alleviation of abject poverty in poor and developing countries," the minister said.
Mr Pawar, who favoured introduction of the genetically modified brinjal, said described the moratorium on commercial release of Bt brinjal pending more tests as a “challenge”. Inaugurating the two-day conference of vice-chancellors of agricultural universities and meeting of directors of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the agriculture minister said, “the recent decision on Bt Brinjal should not be seen as a setback to our efforts, but a challenge which we need to surmount.”
He asked scientists to double efforts to remove all misgivings about GM crops from the minds of policy-makers and the public. "We have to improve our productivity in a situation when the population doubles and there is no possibility of additional land and water," Mr Pawar said.
Having made his case for GM crops, Mr Pawar said, “we will respect the decision taken by the environment ministry, which can give us the ultimate guidance.”
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