कृषि जीएम फूड

GM food on the verge of getting clearance in state 

C.R. GOWRI SHANKER 

DC | HYDERABAD 

The controversial Genetically Modified (GM) crop field trials are all set to get a fillip in the state.

The Andhra Pradesh government is moving in the direction of encouraging and regulating the controversial GM crop field trials.

For this it has formed a 5member committee of experts, headed by Principal Secretary to the government, Agriculture Department, to review the situa ion now and then, and to assess requests for Biotechnology trials (Institutional Strip Tests and BRLs).

The Centre recently modified its rules and sought permission from state governments before granting approval of GM crop field trials. Several companies and institutions have approached the Central government’s Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee for permission to conduct field trials for a variety of crops including BT wheat, tomato, okra (bhendi) and maize.

In a major decision at the GEAC 110th meeting, it was decided that for all GM crop field trials, the GEAC/RCGM would issue an approval letter only on receipt of a No Objection Certificate from the respective state governments.

The Centre’s decision a decade ago to allow BT cotton field trials as a commercial crop, kicked up a controversy. The success of these trials is still being debated.

The government also permitted field trials of BT

brinjal, which triggered another storm, culminating in the cessation of the trials.

Unlike the Centre, which can avail of GEAC expertise before granting the goahead for field trials, the state is ill-equipped.

Of late, Bio-technology (BT) has become an important source of crop improvement. BT research is progressing at a rapid pace all over the world and needs encouragement in this state as well, according to Mr V.

Nagi Reddy, Principal Secretary, Agriculture Department.

The state has raised no objections to BT experiments and research till now.

While the system of regulating BT research is fairly well established at the Centre, in the state it’s still in the primitive stages.