Ugandan farmers fear GM seeds/Bananas are not suckers (22/1/2003) | |
22 January 2003 UGANDAN FARMERS FEAR GM SEEDS/BANANAS ARE NOT SUCKERS Quotes of the week: ""The deal would be this: If the Americans would stop lying about us, we would stop telling the truth about them." - EU Development Commissioner Poul Nielson quoted in 'EU's Nielson blasts U.S. "lies" in GM food row' (Reuters) http://www.forbes.com/home_europe/newswire/2003/01/20/rtr852190.html "Zambia is a sovereign country and makes its own decisions. Zambians do not need to be heroic to assert their sovereignty... GM-free supplies are available in surplus in southern Africa. Europe's policy is to provide food aid procured in the region, rather than as a means of disposing of domestic stocks." Pascal Lamy, the EU's trade commissioner quoted in The Case for Caution: 'We believe that citizens should have the right to choose' NEWSWEEK INTERNATIONAL, http://www.msnbc.com/news/861362.asp Lamy's message has been put more bluntly by Alex Wijeratna of the development charity ActionAid, "The UN confirms there is enough non-GM food in southern Africa and on world markets... The US should [untie its aid] and stop putting a GM gun to the head of hungry Zambians." 1. Bananas are not suckers *** 1.Bananas are not suckers Date: Fri, 17 Jan 2003 11:30:55 +0000 Letter to the editor Who pays you to print this shit? *** 2.Farmers Fear Fake And GM Seeds Ronald N. Mukasa Traders of farm inputs have seen low sales for high-yield seeds as farmers are reluctant to buy them for fear of buying fake or genetically modified seeds. The National Committee for Science and Technology is drawing up a policy on genetically modified foods. The current legal uncertainty has meant that some dealers have been importing genetically modified seeds for sale. This has left farmers unsure of what to buy. The uncertainty has affected the trade of legitimate seed dealers. Three seed dealers interviewed by Money Monitor all said their sales have gone down as a result of the current controversy. Mariam Kalule, the sales Manager of East African Seeds Company on Kafumbe Mukasa road, said that usually they record major sales of seeds in rainy seasons. However sales are lower. "Apart from Okra, green pepper and French beans where local farmers had no substitute seeds, they are now buying small quantities of other seeds. Even the tissue culture improved seedlings, which they have been using, cannot be trusted by many of them. This has pushed our sales down," Kalule added. Bosco Ochira, the sales officer of Kenya seed company which sells "Simlaw" branded seeds also accepted that seeds sales have been affected by fears that seeds on the market have been altered. Ochira said the problem has been fuelled by unscrupulous traders who market fake seeds. "Although it is only six months since we opened our branch in Kapchorwa, we are extensively working with agricultural extension workers there to stop the wide spread sale of fake seeds in that region. We seriously need customer confidence," he said. |