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| Orissa says no to Bt Brinjal |
| BS Reporter / Bhubaneswar Jan 18, 2010, 00:36 IST |
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Orissa Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout today said that the state had no plans to go for Bt brinjal, the genetically modified (GM) crop that got approval for commercial sale in October 2009. He added his decision had been communicated to Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh.
“We have sought the opinion of the seven brinjal-producing states, and, among these, Orissa and Bihar are opposed to the introduction of Bt brinjal on a commercial basis,” Ramesh said at a public consultative meeting on Bt brinjal.
Tribal farmers had staged a protest on Saturday against the introduction of Bt brinjal, which coincided with Ramesh’s visit to the city.
Together, Orissa, Bihar and West Bengal account for nearly 60 per cent of the country’s total brinjal output.
Ramesh clarified that the Centre was in no hurry to introduce commercial cultivation of Bt brinjal. “The country has waited for seven years for the introduction of Bt brinjal and we can wait for seven more years if the need arises. Bt brinjal will not be introduced in the country if the farmers are opposed to it,” he said.
He said Bt brinjal had raised concerns about human safety and farmers felt medicinal properties of the home-grown brinjal would no longer exist if it was replaced by Bt brinjal.
The Bt brinjal controversy gave rise to a fresh storm after the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee cleared it for commercial sale. Bt brinjal is now awaiting the nod of the environment and forests ministry, after which it will become the first GM food crop to be sold in India.
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