India’s first approval of GMO food—mustard—could open door to over 100 GE food products

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After many ifs and buts, the commercial release of genetically modified (GM) mustard seems to have reached a decisive phase after the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) recommended … that it be allowed.

If cleared, it would also open the door for entry of 100-odd GM food products, many in first trial stages and yet to reach GEAC. There are GM varieties of rice, wheat, okra, onion, groundnut, bamboo, tomato, apple, cucumber, sugarcane, cabbage, cauliflower, tea, coffee, corn, ginger, ragi, yam, castor, sunflower, black pepper, pea, soybean, papaya, cardamom, carrot, banana, tobacco, orange, pearl millet, potato and pulses.

If the claim on its behalf is true, has the potential to increase the per-hectare yield by 25-30 per cent over the current varieties.

“It will have impact on production, yield, help in bringing more crop area and also improve the area under irrigation. However, all these benefits of GM mustard will only accrue if the ministry of environment gives its nod, keeping aside all the political considerations,” Ashok Gulati, former chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), told this newspaper.

The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion, and analysis. Read full, original post: GM Mustard could open door for 100-odd crops in pipeline

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