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Govt defers decision on gene-altered mustard

Indian government officials postponed on Thursday a decision on whether to allow cultivation of genetically modified mustard, which supporters say could boost yields by 25 per cent.

A unit of German multinational group Bayer AG, Pro Agro Seed Company Ltd, has asked the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee for permission to grow genetically altered mustard.

India is the fourth largest producer of mustard after China, the European Union and Canada.

Members of the committee wanted time to analyse and interpret the data, particularly with regard to biological and human health aspects, committee chairman A M Gokhale told reporters.

In a ground-breaking move for India in April, the government allowed production of genetically modified cotton hybrids, opening the door to the possibility of other transgenic crops.

GM technology offers India, which has more than one billion people, a tool to boost abysmally low farm yields. But it is strongly opposed by environmentalists and some farm groups who fear its effects on health and the environment.

"Some ministries want to firm up their mind on the interpretation of the data provided by the company," Gokhale said, adding the committee would hold further talks on the issue at its next meeting in a few weeks.

India produced 4.7 million tonnes of rapeseed/mustard in 2000-2001 (November-October), trade estimates show. Mustard oil is widely used in food preparation in India.

Dr Paresh Verma, director of research for Pro Agro Seed Co which is part of the Bayer CropScience Group, said the company's data indicated transgenic mustard could lead to a 25 per cent increase in both seed and oil.

"The technology is commercial in North American countries like Canada, Mexico and the United States. They have Canola which is a related mustard species."

Pro Agro, based in the outskirts of Delhi, said it carried out seven years of trials in the mustard-growing states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.

The trials looked at "food and feed safety, environmental safety and bio-safety of the mustard seeds", said Verma, adding: "We found transgenic mustard to be as safe as the normally grown mustard for food and feed."

But environmentalists attacked the government move to consider commercial release of GM mustard and Greenpeace activists protested outside the meeting.

"Mustard is such a high-risk crop being a food crop. It's completely unethical for the committee to even consider releasing a GM (genetically modified) version," Greenpeace official G Ananthapadmanabhan told Reuters.

"They are considering the commercial release on the basis of...hugely inadequate information about the consequences," Greenpeace said.

(With additional reporting by Biswajyoti Das)

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