GM seeds would destroy productive indigenous seeds
EXCERPT: Attempts are being made by multinational companies to replace our traditional seeds with GM seeds, which would be dangerous for environment and health," [agriculture minister] Singh said.
Bihar to block GM seeds trial: Minister
Times of India, 27 Sept 2014
State agriculture minister Narendra Kumar Singh on Saturday said people of the state would block the entry of any company permitted by the Centre to conduct field trials of genetically modified (GM) corns in the state, as the GM seeds would destroy the indigenous variety of seeds which yield crops with high nutrient value and also provide rich harvest to farmers.
Singh was giving inaugural address at Seed Festival - 2014 held on the premises of A N Sinha Institute of Social Studies under the joint aegis of Kisan Swaraj Asha Alliance and GM Free Bihar Movement. Over 500 varieties of different crop seeds had been put on display and agriculture experts from five states, including Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Kerala, deliberated on the occasion.
"Seed is the basic unit of input and is the lifeline of agriculture. Attempts are being made by multinational companies to replace our traditional seeds with GM seeds, which would be dangerous for environment and health," Singh said, adding that Bihar had become the first state to stop the use of GM seeds in the larger interests of farmers and society at large.
Among those who echoed his concerns from their field experiences were state farmers' commission chairman C P Sinha, Harit Swaraj convener Vijay Pratap, expert from Chhattisgarh belonging to Asha Alliance Jacob Nilethan, Asha Alliance co-convener Pankaj Bhushan and seed saver from Varanasi Jai Prakash.