1.Allergy to the workers in Bt Cotton field
2.BT COTTON REAL CAUSE OF FARMERS' SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA:MAHARASHTRA
--

1.Allergy to the workers in Bt Cotton field
R. Selvam, Tamil Nadu, India

During the inception workshop of SAGE-Tamil nadu-(Tamil nadu state wing of South Against Genetic Engineering-India,) An organic farmer who did an informal survey around his village Kollathur, near Mettur, Salem District, and found in one Bt Cotton field – 9 acres of Bt Cotton- (variety – RASI Bt). The farmer told to us that no women came forward for harvesting the cotton balls from the field as they develop allergy when they enter the field .

The performance of the variety is also very poor and the crop had more sucking pest and white fly in huge numbers.

The workshop was well attended by more than 80 groups working with the farmers and about 30 farmer activists.

At the end of the deliberations all the participants agreed to prepare a status report on the performance of Bt .cotton in Tamil nadu.

As the performance of the BT. Cotton – the only one allowed in India, is very poor and has played a havoc in the lives of the farmers in almost all the states where Bt .is planted. Demanded a five year moratorium on all GMO trials . Another interesting information that came out during the workshop is a village government of Ariyanur in Kancheevaram District, through its Gram shaba - like General body meeting, had declared their Gram Panchayet "A BIO VILLAGE" and hence GMO's are not permitted to grow. Mr.Jayachandren,the President of the Panchayet,revealed this in the workshop.

R. Selvam
Pudhu Nilavu Organic farm,
Thalavumalai, Arachaloor,
Erode District, Tamil Nadu
Pin : 638 101.
Phone : 0424-2357537
---

2.FARMERS' SUICIDE IN VIDARBHA:MAHARASHTRA CHIEF MINISTER MISLEADING THE MEDIA THAT SUICIDE ARE FOR GOVT. AID
VJAS PRESS RELEASE, 31ST MAY-2006

TODAY MARATHI NEWS PAPER "MAHARASHTRA TIMES" HAS PUBLISHED NEWS ITEM QUOTING CHIEF MINISTER VILASRAO DESHMKHA THAT FARMERS IN VIDRABHA ARE COMMITTING SUICIDE TO GET GOVT. AID OF RS. 1 LAC,VJAS TERMED C.M.'S ALLEGATION AS MISLEADING AND STRONGLY CONDENMED IT.ACCORDING TO KISHOR TIWARI VJAS PRESIDENT THAT OUT OF 540 SUICIDES SINCE JUNE 2005 MOST OF THE CASES HAVE BEEN REPOTED BY NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA AS VICTIMS OF WRONG POLICIES OF GOVT. AT THE CENTRAL AND STATE LEVEL.

THIS YEAR COTTON GROWERS ARE COMMITTING SUICIDES AS THEY OPTED HIGH COST BT COTTON SEED WHICH GIVEN THEM LESS OUT PUT WITH ALL MOST DOUBLE THE COST OF INPUT MORE OVER MAHARASHTRA GOVT. HAS REDUCED COTTON RATE FROM RS.2500/- PER QUINTAL TO RS.1780/- PER QUINTAL ,HAS RESULTED THE MORE SUICIDES,KISHOR TIWARI ADDED.

MAHARASHTRA GOVT. HAS COMPLETELY FAILED TO STOP ON GOING COTTON GROWERS SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA AS TOOL OF THIS KHARIF SEASON HAS REACHED TO 540 TODAY AS 7 MORE SUICIDES IN LAST 48 HOURS IN DIFFERANT PART OF VIDARBHA,KISHOR TIWARI OF VIDARBHA JANANDOLAN SAMITI INFORMED TODAY IN A PRESS RELEASE.

Go to a Print friendly Page

Email this Article to a Friend

Back to the Archive