India to soon announce its stand on Genetically Modified Mustard

NEW DELHI, 3 September,2016: The Government of India will soon announce its decision about permitting the commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) mustard – which could be its first transgenic food crop and "ideology" will not be a factor here, said a minister.

Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave said India would also come up with other GM food as its population increases and arable land shrinks.

He also says, India will know the decision about their view on GM Mustard pretty soon.

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He points out the fact that, Indian scientists are good researchers and will do their job well. This way Indian money will stay in the country itself.

Obstacles

Indian population and BJP who object to reliance on technology developed mainly by Western countries, stand their ground about their opposition to lab-altered food.

This could throw a spanner in the works for GM mustard, which recently got technical approval from a panel of government and independent experts after multiple reviews of crop trial data.

"You must have different parameters for what you eat and what you only come in contact with, like cotton," Dave said. "(But) eventually it is the doctor who gives the medicine. Ideology has no connection with this."

Dave, a river conservationist and amateur pilot, said the government's aim is to make regulation on GM crops foolproof and that people's views will be taken into consideration before taking any final decision.

After some farmer groups complained about high rates, the Modi government is at crossroads with Monsanto over how much the world's biggest seed company can charge for the GM cotton seeds it supplies.

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India has also proposed that Monsanto, which dominates India's GM cotton seed market, share its technology with local firms. Monsanto has said it is contemplating leaving India, its biggest market outside the Americas, and recently pulled an application to sell next-generation cotton seeds, Reuters found out.

Dave brushed aside concerns that Monsanto's withdrawal of the cotton variety will hurt Indian farmers as existing seeds become vulnerable to pests.

"Indian scientists are capable enough to meet the requirement of Indian farmers, in every crop," Dave reaffirms his faith in Indian scientists.