The government?s move to commercially launch the first Genetically Modified (GM) food crop ? Brinjal would have to wait for few months.
The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has now asked the National Centre for Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (NCAP), an Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) affiliate institute to conduct an exhaustive socio economic impact assessment.
?We want to rule out any adverse impact of the BT brinjal prior to giving nod for commercially cultivation,? a GEAC member told FE. BT brinjal has been embroiled in many controversies during last three years over its possible health related impact.
NCAP has already identified 40 locations in states including Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa for carrying out the socio economic impact assessment. ?We intend to start the impact assessment for BT brinjal from last week of August,? PK Joshi, director, NCAP said.
The study would cover factors such as benefits to farmers, production yield and use of pesticides. GM brinjal, has been developed by the Indian seed company, Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Co (Mahyco) with technology sourced from US-based multinational Monsanto and the company has given the technology free to Tamil Nadu Agriculture University and the University of Agricultural Science of Dharward for commercial use.
Mahyco has claimed that BT brijnal, which is resistant to pest and also entails far lesser use of pesticides, would be available to small farmers through public agencies.
However, many environmental groups have been opposed to BT brinjal by saying that there are enough number of indigenously developed brinjal varieties in the country and the government should not use BT crop in a hurry without ?satisfying? about the health impact on the human being.
Recently Navdanya, a group opposing the introduction of BT brinjal organised a ?Brinjal festival? in Delhi for showing varieties of Indian brinjal.
BT brinjal would be the second genetically modified vegetable to be introduced after the success of BT cotton, also launched by Mahyco in 2002.
Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh, under whose ministry GEAC functions, said ?There is no great urgency for Bt brinjal to be launched and we should have a statutory comprehensive assessment first before granting a green signal.?
Brinjal is grown in around 5.5 lakh hectare in the country and is a critical cash crop for more than 1.4 million small and marginal. West Bengal is the biggest producer of brinjal in the country with 1.6 lakh hectare under cultivation. The state accounts for 30%of production.