Exporters join farmers seeking ban on GE rice field trials

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Oct 31 (UNI) Open field trials of genetically-engineered (GE) rice, being conducted at 10 locations across the country could end up contaminating the country's entire rice supply and jeopardising India rice exports, cautioned Greenpeace, Rice exporters and farmer groups.

"The government should pay attention to the Chinese and US rice scandals which sent financial ripples across the world and commit to keep India rice GE free", said representatives of Greenpeace, Bharatiya Kisan Union(BKU) and All India Rice Exporters Assocation (AIREA) at a joint press conference here today.

It is matter of grave concern that the government has allowed field trials in Basmati growing areas, said AIREA Executive Director Anil Adlakha adding that any contamination from GE rice field trials would be a death knell for millions of farmers and exporters.

India should learn a lesson from the plight of US rice industry where the contamination of rice from Bayer Crops Science's field trial of its GE varieties Liberty Link 601 and 62 are still a subject of major government investigation, he added.

The US government had disapproved the GM scientists' assurances that they could prevent contamination of regular crops from GE rice.

And the ensuing scandal has hurt American rice farmers and exporters with brand damage and consequent cancelling of import orders by EU and other East Asian countries.

BKU leader Yudhvir Singh said Indian rice farmers getting a good price due to export market would get destroyed once the commodity was contaminated by GE rice.

"India farmers should save themselves from clutches of criminal MNCs like Mahyco and Monsanto and reject any field trials of GE crops", he added.

Meanwhile, Rajesh Krishnan from Greenpeace said "Rice is the staple food for a majority of Indians and if GE rice enters the food chain, the implications to our health are unthinkable".

UNI JSS BBS PV BS1832

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