Bt Cotton trial proposal riles farmers, activists

The proposal to conduct field trials of genetically modified cotton and maize seeds has raised the hackles of activists who have urged the government not to allow such exercises to prevent long-term damage to the farming community and the agriculture sector.

Karnataka has a long-standing opposition to the genetically modified or ‘Bt’ (Bacillus thuringiensis) crops with the previous BJP government in 2010 announcing a ban on Bt Brinjal. Activists say Bt Cotton had affected lakhs of farmers with many farm suicides in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka linked to the seeds purchased from a private company.

The latest alarm comes in the wake of a proposal by Rallis India Ltd, a Bengaluru-based private company, seeking to conduct ‘confined field trials in the state to test Bt Cotton and Maize seeds. The Department of Forests, Ecology and Environment has issued a public notice seeking objections from the public for the trials.

Organisations working for farmers and several experts have come together to demand the government not to allow such trials in the state. In a letter to the Principal Secretary of the department, they said that at least seven varieties of cotton seeds were wiped out when Bt Cotton by Monsanto was introduced in 2002. “Eventually, farmers had no choice but to purchase the costly seeds of Monsanto. GM cotton destroyed the diversity besides affecting soil, water, livestock and the environment,” the letter warned.

V Gayatri of ‘Nammura Bhoomi Namagirali; Anyarigalla’ said the government should work to bring back crop diversity instead of destroying the remaining semblance of sustainability in the agriculture sector. “Neither the government nor the company has given specific information on the nature of the seeds that are proposed for trial. For cotton, a hybrid variety resistant to bollworm already exists. Statements given by company scientists are leading to confusion,” she told DH.

Former chairman of Karnataka Agriculture Price Commission and retired professor from University of Agricultural Sciences Prakash Kammaradi warned that the Bt seeds will only lead to capturing of the entire market by one or two companies. “In fact, a seed is just the component of their design which involves herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers. The companies will rule the roost by destroying the indigenous variety and killing the independence of the farmers,” he warned.

The letter signed by former Environment Secretary A N Yellappa Reddy, Nagesh Hegde, women’s and farmer organisations, also opposed the field trials for the herbicide-tolerant maize crop. “The pesticide used for this variety of seeds will destroy the soil and its biodiversity,” it said.

Kammaradi said maize has already become a successful ‘go-to’ crop for farmers who are getting never-before-seen yield. “As a result, farmers are abandoning cultivation of other crops. Between 2009-10 and 2019-20, maize cultivation went up by 14%. Jowar, paddy and ragi cultivation declined by 27%, 17% and 15%, respectively, during the same period. Blackgram cultivation dropped by a whopping 42%,” he said, adding that the long-term implications will become more visible in the coming days.

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