NEW DELHI - With Pakistan all set to allow commercial cultivation of Bt cotton, Indian seeds firms are planning to cash in on the growing demand for genetically-tweaked item for its field-trial purpose there.
In the last six months alone, at least three Indian firms have got nod from the country’s bio-tech regulator, Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) to export the Bt cotton seed to conduct multi-locational field trials in different agro-climatic zones in Pakistan.
The neighbouring firms hope to get the government’s approval for commercial cultivation of Bt cotton in view of regular talks between agriculture ministries of China and Pakistan to develop Bt cotton varieties and also in view of the latter signing a pact with crop biotech firm Monsanto a few months ago.
GEAC, in its last meeting in September, permitted, Bioseed Research India to export Bt cotton BGII (Bollgard) cotton hybrids containing cry 1Ac and cry 2Ab genes to Monsanto Pakistan Agritech Pvt Ltd.
“The intended purpose of the export was for conducting multi-locational field trials in different agro-climatic zone in Pakistan,” the members noted.
The no objection certificate is subject to the approval from Chennai-based National Biodiversity Authority and Pakistan’s National Biosafety Committee, they said. Bollgard II has been commercialised in India since 2006.
In May, the panel allowed Hyderabad-based JK Agri Genetics Ltd to export four hybrids of Bt cotton to Ali Akbar Seeds of Lahore.
During the same month Monsanto Holdings Pvt. Ltd was permitted export of Bollgard II cotton variety to Monsanto Pakistan Agritech Pvt Ltd in Lahore to carry out largescale field trials under different cotton growing areas of the neighbouring country.
Pakistan is the fourth largest cotton growing country in the world and its total cotton acreage is equal to around 40 per cent of total cotton cultivated in India.
In India, in 2008, four million farmers cultivated over 300 Bt cotton hybrid seed brands with four competing technologies on 79 per cent of its total cotton acres.
Bollgard II and Bollgard BT cotton technologies were adopted on 17.2 million acres, i.e. Bollgard II on 4.5 million acres, Bollgard on 12.7 million acres respectively.
© PTI 2010
