Farmers against BT cotton: International campaigner

Hyderabad, Apr 15 (UNI) Director of African Centre for Bio-safety (ACB) and international campaigner on Genetic Engineering (GE) Mariam Mayet today said cotton farmers were opposed to the use of BT- cotton- seeds in India and South Africa.

Talking to newspersons here, Ms Mayet, who visited Warangal district where she met the cotton growers and interacted with them, said they supported the findings by Deccan Development Society about hazards of BT cotton which has an impact on health and environment.

Stating that most of the farmers in the country who were using BT cotton lost their crop and had health problems due to excessive usage of pesticides, she said Mansanto also bought two seed companies in Africa and was selling them in the country.

Cautioning that the international grain traders were planning to enter the GM food market to capture the economy of Developing countries, Ms Mayet said South Africa was the only country which has commercialised the white Maize, a staple food for 80 per cent of the people.

UNI AP VV MSJ KN1408