Maharashtra farmers, under the aegis of Shetkari Sanghatana, activists and farmers launched a drive on [February 17] to cultivate Bt brinjal from Ahmednagar district despite the genetically modified variety not being approved for commercial cultivation.
The cultivation, which is illegal since it is unapproved by the nodal agency Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), was launched on [February 17] to protest against the Union Government’s slackness in approving new varieties of ban on genetically modified (GM) crops.
The Centre has asked State governments to crackdown on such cultivation.
So far, the Union government has approved only the cultivation of non-food crop – cotton – among GM varieties. Since 2006, no new variety, including cotton, has been approved by GEAC, the nodal agency to clear GM crops in the country.
Introduction of new GM crops also suffered a setback when the Supreme Court announced a 10-year- moratorium on cultivation of such varieties in 2009.
Though the moratorium ended in 2019, no application has been filed for testing any new GM variety.
Besides Bt brinjal, farmers have also been cultivating herbicide tolerant Bt cotton and a new GM variety cotton dubbed as 4G.
