1.Farmers body opposes GE seeds
2.AGRICULTURE SECRETARY TO TAKE STOCK OF COIMBATORE PROTEST

EXTRACT: Agriculture Secretary Surjit K. Choudhary rushed to Coimbatore to take stock of the situation arising out the drive carried out by some organisations against cultivating genetically engineered paddy... Mr. Choudhary said... "You cannot stay away from it in the World Trade Organisation system."
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1.Farmers body opposes GE seeds
Chennai Online, 15 November 2006
http://www.chennaionline.com/colnews/newsitem.asp?NEWSID=%7BC79CFD01-0364-46BE-B19A-44EF38F9DE06%7D&CATEGORYNAME=TAMNA

Chennai, Nov 15: Justifying its recent action of destroying genetically engineered (GE) plants near Coimbatore, the Tamil Nadu Velaan Kaappu Kuzhu (Tamil Nadu Agriculture Protection Group) today said it would oppose use of GE and genetically modified (GM) seeds in the state

"GM and GE are detrimental to sustainable agriculture, food security, environment and harmful to people. We will prevent GM and GE seeds from being used in the state", Dr V Duraimanickam, Tamil Nadu Farmers Association (TFA) general secretary and state Farmers and Toilers Party president P Chellamuthu told a press conference here.

On November 10, over 200 farmers, under the banner of the Tamil Nadu Farmers Association, destroyed rice plants in a GE rice field trial at Ramanathapuram village, about 20 km from Coimbatore.

Releasing a report on 'Future of rice' (being released internationally by Greenpeace and farmers movements), agricultural scientist Dr P Nammalwar said an estimated 1.4 lakh varieties of rice in over 100 countries had been developed keeping in mind area and climate specific conditions.

"There are rice varieties that grow in deep water, rice being grown through irrigated water and rice that can resist drought conditions. This biodiversity can be destroyed by GM and GE seeds," he observed.

He said rice had been grown in India for the last 15,000 years and wheat, for the last 20,000 years. Breaking this pattern and introducing GM and GE varieties could lead to "erosion of our rich biodiversity", he added.
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2.AGRICULTURE SECRETARY TO TAKE STOCK OF COIMBATORE PROTEST
The Hindu (front page), 13 November 2006 http://www.hindu.com/2006/11/13/stories/2006111312280100.htm

Government views drive against genetically engineered paddy seriously

COIMBATORE: Agriculture Secretary Surjit K. Choudhary rushed to Coimbatore to take stock of the situation arising out the drive carried out by some organisations against cultivating genetically engineered paddy.

Last Friday, hundreds of farmers and activists uprooted genetically engineered paddy crop on a trial field in Ramanathapuram village at Alandurai, 30 km from here. The local police had registered a case against Tamil Nadu Farmers' Association president K. Chellamuthu and 89 others. The Government took a serious view of the incident and wanted the Agriculture Secretary to look into the issue.

Sharing his views on the incident, Mr. Choudhary wondered how anyone could take law into their hands. "If you want to oppose something, there are ways of democratic protest. You could have given a memorandum to the Collector and requested him to monitor whether the prescribed regimen is followed," he told The Hindu .

He pointed out that the Union Environment Ministry had prescribed a certain regimen for the trial of GE seeds and the district administration had to ensure that this was complied with. [even the key regulatory body, the GEAC, admits that isn't actually happening - ed]

Mr. Choudhary said that biotechnology was one of the most important developments in the field of agriculture. "You cannot stay away from it in the World Trade Organisation system."

Technology transfer

He held the lack of technology transfer in agriculture the single most important reason for backwardness in farming practices. "China and Israel are far ahead of India in agricultural productivity because of technology," he said. He wondered whether "bigotry and prejudice" should be allowed to come in the way of introducing technology and improving productivity at a time when the returns from agriculture were declining. "By trying to block technology you are trying to ruin agriculture in Tamil Nadu," he said.

Mr. Choudhary added that biotechnology should be used in a "positive manner" and it was imperative to train farmers in the latest advances.

"We should also think of ways and means to bring new technologies within the reach of the poor farmer. And no prejudice should be permitted to prevent technology," he said.

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