As chief minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi may have extolled the virtues of genetically modified (GM) crops… but as prime minister, he is finding it extremely tough to carry along even his party on the issue. Encouraged… by the RSS and affiliate Swadeshi Jagran Manch’s (SJM’s) opposition to GM crops, various BJP-ruled states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have upped their protest against GM mustard even though the bio-safety panel of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) has approved Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11…. At a time when mustard yields have been stagnant, GM crops are promising to raise this by at least a fourth….
With Madhya Pradesh, the second-largest producer of mustard, refusing to undertake field-trials of Dhara Mustard Hybrid … as many as seven states have already indicated they will not allow mustard… [D]espite Modi’s personal interest, the NDA government isn’t unlike the UPA which put a moratorium on commercial cultivation of Bt Brinjal in 2010. Whether Modi will be able to persuade the RSS and the SJM to fall in line… is not clear … but evidence so far suggests Modi may be fighting a losing battle.
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The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: GM mustard : How BJP ruled states have queered the pitch
