India captures 67 p c of world mango market: Scientist

Hyderabad, Mar 10 (UNI) Director of the National Botanical Research Centre Rakesh Tuli today said India has captured 67 per cent of the World mango market due to production of superior varieties of mangoes.

Addressing the International 'Agri-Bio Technology 2006' seminar which began here yesterday, he said 131 million people eat fruits in the world and India had captured 11 per cent of the banana and 67 per cent of the mango market.

The scientist said if the gene technology used in Banana cultivation was also used for tomato cultivation, production would increase.

Opposing the ban of BT cotton by Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh governments, he said BT cotton ensured maximum income to the farmers. He said it was for the scientists to create the right kind of environment for cultivation of BT cotton.

Anupam Varma, a scientist from IARI, Delhi, said viral infections caused by the use of biotechnology could be cured through gene technology.

He said 113 varieties of viruses were affecting the production of vegetables in the country.

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