March 16, 2010

India to evaluate biotech crops on a case-by-case basis

In view of rising safety concerns regarding GM crops, a case-by-case approach has been adopted to assess each transgenic event, India's upper house was informed on Friday (Mar 12).

All issues relating to bio safety and environmental safety have been entrusted to a strict regulatory regime under the provisions of the Environment Protection Act of 1986, minister of state for agriculture KV Thomas told the upper house in a written reply.

The government has been very supportive of the efforts to develop transgenic crops as they have the potential to increase productivity, reduce farm costs and thereby, increase farm incomes, he said.

Thomas said the Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR) is implementing a mega Network Project on Transgenics in Crops (NPTC) to initiate and strengthen R&D efforts on functional genomics and transgenic crops.

Many transgenic crops, he said, are currently being developed and tested at various public and private institutions in the country. He further said GM crops are already being planted in 25 countries.