Jayalalitha opposes GM crop testing

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha on Thursday asserted that her government is opposed to field trials of Genetically Modified (GM) crops.

“When the new government forms at the Centre after the elections in which AIADMK will be a part, the permission to all the field trials of GM crops would be scrapped across the country,” she said at a meeting at Nagapittinam district in the state.

Referring to the Centre’s recent decision to allow field trials of around 200 varieties of GM crops, she said it would keep the multinational seed companies happy by ignoring farmers’ loss and grief.

“If the GM cultivation is done, farmers have to depend on seed companies. Moreover, as per experts, the cultivation itself will create environment problem,” she said.