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India takes baby steps to GM crops; Greens fume

India's path-breaking move to allow commercial production of genetically modified cotton hybrids has raised prospects for other transgenic crops even though it could be years before most win approval, analysts say.

In a nation of over a billion people, GM technology offers India the tool to boost abysmally low farm yields, raising hopes for more such crops like potato, tomato, rice and mustard.

But the technique is strongly opposed by environmentalists and some farm groups who fear its effects on health and the environment.

Only research projects were allowed before the government's decision last week which followed more than five years of extensive lab and field trials.

"We have allowed lab or field trials for nine GM crops," said P K Ghosh, adviser to the central Department of Biotechnology.

It will take as long as five years to win approval for commercial planting since most of the research for the other crops are in the early stages and must pass lengthy tests, he said.

The earliest to get off the blocks is likely to be mustard, whose oil is the most widely used in the preparation of food in northern India.

Delhi-based Proagro PGS India Ltd, part of Aventis SA's Aventis Cropscience unit, plans to seek government approval later this year to commercially produce GM mustard.

"We have been working on genetically modified mustard hybrid for the past six years," said Paresh Verma, director (research) of Proagro Seed Company Ltd, another firm focusing on research. "We are seeing 25 to 30 per cent more yield."

BOOSTING YIELDS

Traders say the gene-alteres Bt (bacillus thuringiensis) cotton is expected to raise the yields by controlling bollworm, responsible for over 80 per cent of pest attacks on Indian cotton.

The average yield of cotton in India, the third largest producer in the world, is about half the global average of over 600 kg per hectare, despite having the largest area under cotton cultivation of nearly nine million hectares.

"The Bt cotton will break the yield barrier of about 300 kg per hectare in India," said Suresh Kotak, president of the East India Cotton Association.

India has allowed production of three GM cotton hybrids, developed by the Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco) in collaboration with US bio-technology giant Monsanto Co.

Farm scientists say yields of Bt cotton could rise 15 to 30 per cent.

Traders forecast output may touch about 20 million bales (of 170 kg each) in three to four years from nearly 16 million bales now. But the results may not be visible in the coming season beginning in May as Mahyco is unlikely to meet a spurt in seed demand.

"Mahyco had permission for limited seed production last year," said a spokeswoman of the Indian arm of Monsanto, adding that total seed available with the company would be sufficient only for 100,000 acres.

Mahyco, in which Monsanto has a 26 per cent stake, started field trials of its Bt cotton in 1996/97.

"In the coming three years, I don't see another bio-tech crop from Monsanto reaching commercial stage in India," the Monsanto spokeswoman said.

GREENS SEE RED

While government officials and the industry hailed the decision to permit GM cotton, environmentalists slammed the move.

"The government has ignored some of the most serious problems of Bt cotton in its attempts to rush this product to the market," said Ganesh Nochur, campaign director of Greenpeace India.

A spokeswoman for the Centre for Science and Environment said: "Concerns relating to genetic contamination and health hazards should have been properly investigated before granting the approval."

Delhi-based non-governmental group Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Ecology, said Bt cotton produced a toxin that triggered a rapid emergence of resistance in bollworm.

"Instead of the plant being resistant, the bollworm becomes resistant to Bt toxin," it said.

But farm activist Sharad Joshi said the lobby of "pesticide makers and pseudo-scientists" had deprived Indian farmers for at least seven years in getting access to the GM technology.

"If it is dangerous, we can go back. But there is no point in closing the doors on the new technology."

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