Illegal Roundup Ready Flex (RRF) BT cotton openly sold in Vidarbha

Illegal   Roundup Ready Flex (RRF) BT cotton openly sold in Vidarbha 

Nagpur-21st May  2013

Whereas Mahyco (Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company)  has been banned in Maharashtra to  sale it’s approved BG-I  BG-II  ) variety of Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) Cotton but surprisingly same Govt. has turned blind eye to open sale non-approved Bt cottonseeds with Roundup Ready Flex (RRF) technology as Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) asked the firm to repeat trials  sale this variety which being proved too unsafe to use in part of world as RRF is a technology that kills weeds in cotton fields when herbicide is sprayed on the field only weed is killed, while cotton plants live on as the technology gives them biological strength to withstand the ill effects of herbicide but it’s environmental safety is matter of concern GEAC objected to use of  Bt RRF and put it hold but  surprisingly in remote part of west vidarbha 'roundup ready' (RR) variety of Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) Cotton is being openly sold @Rs.1500/- per pocket which is highly objectionable and made mockery of administration as agriculture deptt. Officials directely involved in this unfair trade when Roundup Ready Flex (RRF) variety yet to receive approval for usage from Government of India, informed kishore Tiwari of Vidrabha Janandolan Samiti (VJAS)  ,farmers advocacy group working for rights of 5 million farmers of vidrabha region.

  “Monsanto had developed a variety of cotton, known as ‘roundup ready’ or RR, in 1970s and the variety hasn’t got approval for commercial sale in India. Second-field trials are yet to be allowed but farmers are using it (RR) illegally. we suspect that   due to proximity of US GM seed MNC  with union agriculture minister shrad pawar Mahyco (Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company)  must have got the seed from USA as you are a major seed developer, it’s not difficult to develop the seed variety as the gene is already with you. The use is illegal but farmers are using it,” Tiwari added

The RR variety is used for managing of weeds growing in and around cotton plants. “Weeds are unwanted plants around crops drawing nourishment from nutrients of the soil and this sometimes hampers growth of crops and RR has a gene which protects the cotton crop from herbicides (used for weeding) but it has long term permanent damage to soil and ecology and Experts believe that use of these varieties can damage fertility of soil in the long run.  hence Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), which functions under ministry of environment and forest, Government of India, is the body that approves manufacture, usage, export and import of genetically-modified organisms or cellshas not given permission for commercial sale of RR variety of Bt Cotton and its upgraded RR Flex by Monsanto is still pending with GEAC hence there is no clearance for commercial use of RR or RR Flex Bt Cotton from GEAC ,all Trials for the same are illegal  hence we demand immediate high level probe RR and RR Flex Bt Cotton illegal sale to innocent cotton farmers ,VJAS chief Tiwari urged to PMO.