GEAC meet delay may put off trial plans for GM crops

Trial plans for biotech version of crops like rice, cotton, corn, castor, sorghum and potato could be delayed since a crucial meeting of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) was postponed by a month from scheduled date of June 8.

The meeting was expected to discuss permission of field trials and research for some biotech crops during the coming kharif season.

Biotech industry representatives said the deferment in considering the cases for field trials for biotech crops could seriously delay the trial plans because after GEAC gives permission for field trials, consent from respective state where the trials would be held is also needed.

The GEAC has not given any specific reason for postponing the meeting. Its website just said the 110th GEAC meeting was now rescheduled for July 6.

Agenda for the same meeting would be posted on the website in due course of time, the statement posted on the website said.

The crops are being developed by some private companies like Bayer, Du Pont Pioneer and Mahyco and even some government-run institutions like Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR), Central Research Institute For Dryland Agriculture and Central Potato Research Institute.

Of these, paddy, corn and cotton crops are grown during the Kharif season sowing for which starts around June-July.