Non-pesticide cultivation also a reason for moratorium on BT Brinjal: Ramesh

Union minister for rural development Jairam Ramesh said that one of the reasons behind his decision to put a moratorium on commercialisation of BT Brinjal was the ongoing experiment of “non-pesticide” cultivation in Andhra Pradesh.

Ramesh told reporters here on Saturday that currently 10 per cent of the cropped area in Andhra Pradesh was under non-pesticide cultivation. “The proportion of this area would be doubled in the next five years,” he said, adding that the state accounted for 40 per cent of the total pesticides consumption in the country.

Under non-pesticide cultivation, farmers will use fertilsers but not pesticides for growing crops. It is not organic farming as there is utilisation of fertilisers. Sanctioning Rs 240 crore under the “Mahila Kisan Swashakti” scheme in AP for the promotion of non-pesticide cultivation during the next five years, Ramesh said that “one of the reasons for putting a moratorium on BT Brinjal is the Andhra experiment on non-pesticide cultivation”.