India to see genetically modified jute in a month

Agro chemical sector under stress due to trend for using hybrid seeds

India is likely to see commercialization of genetically modified (GM) jute in a month.

Developed by the Kolkata University, GM jute is set to be sent for commercialization approval to the regulator - Genetically Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), next month.

If approved, GM jute would be the second crop of its kind after GM cotton was approved for commercialization in 2002 with huge success.

"The GM jute is ready. The Kolkata University is set to apply with GEAC for commercialization in a month," said Swapan K Datta, Deputy Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) on the sidelines of a roundtable on "Addressing Challenges of Food Security" organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry here on Monday.

Farmers anticipate the success in cotton to be replicated in jute as well.

"Jute being a non - food crop, GEAC should not have any problem in approving it. The regulator has concerns only on food items," Datta said.

Opening up of GM seed segment and over all trend for using less of an agro chemicals and more and more use of hybrid seeds with heat, insects, weeds and flood tolerance. This has started putting pressure on agro chemical sector. Major agro chemical companies like Monsanto, Syngenta, Rallis, Bayer CropScience and Advanta have increased focus on improved varieties of hybrid seeds with heat, insects, weeds and flood tolerance. This has resulted into lower usage of agrochemicals like pesticides, weedicides and herbicides.

Davor Pisk, chief operating officer of global agrochemical and hybrid seed major Syngenta said, "Our focus in future is going to be seed. At the same time, we will continue our research and development (R&D) in agrochemical as well considering the entire business a basket."

This has put India's Rs 21,000 crore agrochemical industry under severe stress for future growth. Government has also intensified effort of to use tolerance protection hybrid seeds to minimize its usage of chemicals and eventually reduce the threat of their residues in the crop.

"Plants suck only 35 per cent of agrochemicals used for crop protection in the field. The remaining, 65 per cent however, goes into the environment and river to pollute air and water respectively. It is therefore important to reduce applicability of agrochemicals in the field for crop protection. Introduction of tolerance protection seeds may lower usage of agrochemicals going forward. Consequently, India's agrochemical sector faces severe stress for future usage and growth," said Swapan K Datta, Deputy Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

India accounts for 16 per cent of the world's total foodgrain production and uses only around 2 per cent of agrochemicals. Low consumption can be attributed to the four major factors i.e. fragmented land holdings - low purchasing power, high dependence on monsoons and low level of irrigation, low awareness among farmers about the benefits of using pesticides and lower accessibility of products.

By contrast, the $2 billion (Rs 12000 crore ) Indian seed industry is growing at 12-13 per cent per annum and the commercial seed segment accounts for a mere 25 per cent of the total market. Hence, the growth opportunity for commercial seeds is substantial going ahead. As per one study wheat, groundnut, soybean and chickpea (high-volume lowvalue seeds) 80 per cent of the cropping area is sown with farm-saved seeds that are old and obsolete varieties.

Most notably, India's Genetically Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has granted approval for 11 new varieties of genetically modified (GM) seeds for field trails.