Early Times Report
Srinagar, Feb 28: Jammu & Kashmir Kisan Tehreek (JKKT) had expressed concern for granting permission to big agro-business companies for conducting field trials of genetically engineered terminator seeds in India and has asked the central government to stop all field trials of GM crops.
By introducing such a policy the government has ignored the interests of the 70 per cent small and marginal farmers, the Tehreek lamented.
According to press release, referring to the introduction BT cotton the Tehreek said that it had offered no socio-economic benefits to the farmers but on the contrary, it being a capital intensive practice, the investment of farmers increased manifold thus exposing them to greater risks due to massive indebtedness. Besides, introducing genetically modified versions of rice, bringal, mustered and other crops could be a major threat to the vast number of domestic and wild varieties of these crops, it added.
The Tehreek observed that the ordinary farmers today are being denied access to their heritage, the common exchanging, saving, evolving and breeding of seeds. By using various legal and political instruments, through seed monopolies and seed patenting, big agribusiness has taken over the seed market compelling farmers to regularly buy expensive seeds and use excessive amounts of chemicals on their crops.
The farmers thus incur massive debt due to spiraling input costs and weak returns, it added.
"The genetically engineered crops pose several ecological risks by threatening beneficial species such as birds, bees, butterflies, beetles which are necessary for pollination and for pest control."
The Tehreek has demanded moratorium on field trials conducted by big agro-corporations and has asked for complete makeover of the current regulatory mechanism. It has urged upon the government to bring a strong legislation on bio-safety, which is focused on ensuring the biodiversity, human and livestock health and environmental protection.
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