The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to prohibit any environmental release, including field trials, of Genetically Modified Organisms. In a letter to Union Minister of Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh, Agriculture Minister Ramkrishna Kusmaria has strongly stated that due to insufficient research on their safety and impact on human beings and the environment, the State government has decided to ban field trials and release of GM crops in the State unless there ”is clear evidence of [their] safety, proven beyond doubt.”

The Gujarat government has allowed a raise in the prices of genetically modified, Bollgard-I and Bollgard-II. On an average, prices were raised by 25 per cent for the ensuing kharif season. Prices increased from Rs 650 per packet (each of 450 gms) to Rs 830 per packet for BG-I, while prices of BG-II were raised from Rs 750 per packet to Rs 930 per packet, the government announced yesterday. The largest cotton producing state in India, previously saw a Bt cotton seed it price revision in 2008. There will be an increase of Rs 200 a kg in the production cost to farmers as compared to 2008.

The seed, the source of life, the embodiment of our biological and cultural diversity, the link between the past and the future of evolution, the common property of past, present and future generations of farming communities who have been seed breeders, is today being stolen from the farmers and being sold back to us as ”propriety seed” owned by corporations like the US-headquartered Monsanto.

Seven of the 16 members expert panel to examine new safety standards for BT Brinial, on which moratorium was imposed in February 2010, had a role to play in giving approval to India's first genetically modified food crop BT Brinjal. The panel has national advisory council member Madhav Gadgil, PM Bhargava, an independent GM expert,G Padmanabhan, Emeritus professor at Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore, and Bala Prasad, chief executive officer of National Medicinal Plants Board as members.

Mahyco Hybrid Seeds, a leading seeds company, was in the news recently with regard to the export of genetically-modified seeds to countries such as Bangladesh and Philippines. [...] Suryakant Mishra, head, PR, Mahyco Hybrid Seeds, explains, ”No GM seeds can be exported to other countries without the approval of the regulatory authorities of exporting and importing countries. Hence, there is no question of Mahyco exporting any GM seeds to any country without necessary approvals.”

Accusing Rajasthan government of selling farmers” interests to multinational agri-business companies, farmers” organisation and NGO representatives today demanded from the state government to cancel its agreement, with companies like Monsanto. They held a one-day meeting and passed a resolution against the agreements and demanded from the government to cancel its agreements with immediate effect to save farming and environment of the state.

The Southern Action on Genetic Engineering, a forum fighting against introduction of genetically modified or genetically engineered food crops in the region, has requested Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy to make Andhra Pradesh a GM-free State by banning trials and cultivation of GE food crops. In a letter to the Chief Minister, convener of SAGE P.V. Satheesh said that Kerala government had brought in such a legislation last year to make the State GM-free.

Almost forgotten in this tumult is the work of several public institutions, primarily the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in Coimbatore and the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, in genetically modifying the open pollinated varieties of brinjal whereas Mahyco is focused on doing it with hybrids. Of course, both institutions have been working with Mahyco on the project in what is described as a public private partnership, spearheaded by Cornell University of the US as the ABSPII project. Funding for the project comes from the Ford Foundation and USAID.

Union Agriculture and Food Processing Minister Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said the Centre must consult States on genetically modified food crops. ”We will have to talk to Chief Ministers and discuss all major issues with them,” he said when asked about Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s ban last month on trials of GM maize in the State following approval by the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee.

Ahead of the first meeting of an expert committee of scientists to determine the kind of tests to be conducted on genetically-modified brinjal, commonly known as Bt brinjal, [P Anand Kumar] a prominent member of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee has resigned from the panel. [...] More resignations are expected, as all those members who are associated with institutions that develop GM crops, supposedly have the same stand as that of Kumar.