Global Policy Forum

Despite the controversy surrounding genetically modified crops, trials and seed production of more varieties of Bt cotton, developed by Monsanto, get the green signal from the country's regulatory authority for transgenic crops.

The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) -- the regulatory authority for transgenic crops in India -- has approved large-scale field trials and seed production of 12 varieties of Bt cotton hybrids. At a meeting on April 15, the committee allowed Rasi Seeds to conduct large-scale field trials and produce seeds for RCH 118 Bt and RCH 559 Bt in central India. Rasi Seeds has also been allowed to conduct field trials and produce seeds for RCH 368 Bt in south India and RCH 317 Bt in north India.

Developed by Rasi Seeds, Ankur Seeds and the Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco), the Bt cotton hybrids contain the Bt cry 1 ac gene developed by the US seed multinational, Monsanto. While Mahyco is Monsanto's partner in India, Rasi Seeds and Ankur Seeds are sub-licensees of Monsanto.

Ankur Seeds has been given the green signal to conduct large-scale field trials and seed production of Ankur 651 Bt and Ankur 2534 Bt in north India, and of Ankur 651 Bt and Ankur 09 Bt in central India.

Meanwhile, Mahyco has been given the go-ahead for large-scale field trials and seed production of MRC 6301 Bt and MRC 6160 Bt in central India and MRC 6301 Bt and MRC 6322 Bt in south India.

The GEAC has decided that, ordinarily, large-scale field trials of transgenic cotton will be conducted at 80 representative locations per genotype, per zone. However, wherever necessary and considering the facts of each case, this number can be increased. The committee has approved seed production of the above hybrids in a maximum area of 100 hectares, for each variety.

Earlier, on April 1, the GEAC approved RCH 2 Bt developed by Rasi Seeds for commercial cultivation in central and southern parts of India. With this, RCH 2 Bt becomes the fourth transgenic cotton crop to be approved for commercial cultivation.

In March 2002, the GEAC approved the Bt Mech 12, Bt Mech 162 and Bt Mech 184 varieties developed by Monsanto in collaboration with its Indian partner Mahyco for commercial cultivation in central and southern India. At present there are no approved Bt cotton varieties for commercial cultivation in north India. Last year, a Monsanto-Mahyco proposal for the approval of a Bt cotton variety for commercial cultivation in north India was turned down by the GEAC as the variety in question was susceptible to the deadly leaf curl virus.

According to government estimates, the area under Bt cotton remains negligible -- only 92,000 hectares out of a total of over 9 million hectares under cotton cultivation. In 2002-2003, the first year of its approval for commercial cultivation, Bt cotton covered an area of only 38,038 hectares, representing 0.51% of the area under cotton cultivation in that period. In 2003-2004, a ‘good-monsoon' year, the area under Bt cotton increased to 92,000 hectares.