The Hindu : National : GEAC seeks comments on 3 Bt cotton hybrids

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Friday, Apr 15, 2005

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National

GEAC seeks comments on 3 Bt cotton hybrids

Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has sought fresh comments from the Central and Southern States on the three hybrid cotton varieties MECH-12 Bt, MECH-162 Bt, and MECH-184 Bt containing Cry 1 Ac gene and developed by M/s Mahyco. The company's three-year license for commercial release of Bt cotton lapses on April 30 and the next meeting of the Committee will be held in the second week of May.

A decision on renewing the license for the commercial release of transgenic cotton was apparently postponed in the wake of the ongoing controversy over the alleged failure of the hybrid cotton yield. Fresh comments have been sought from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh where field trials were conducted.

Two environmental groups — Greenpeace and Gene Campaign — were allowed to make their presentations at a meeting here on Wednesday. While Greenpeace demanded the withdrawal of Bt cotton till a thorough assessment of field surveys is made, Gene Campaign said issues of concern must be dealt with before fresh approvals were granted.

Greenpeace representatives handed over a petition on behalf of the farmers in Madhya Pradesh who had suffered loss of yield as a result of Bt cotton. On the other hand, Suman Sahai, of Gene Campaign expressed her unhappiness over the GEAC chairperson, Suresh Chandra's alleged remark during the meeting .

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