Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Stringent Safety Norms in Agriculture after NBRA: Centre

Stringent Safety Norms in Agriculture after NBRA: Centre

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Sep 11, 2013   modified Modified on Sep 11, 2013
-Outlook


Gandhinagar: A more stringent safety regime will be in place for genetic engineering in agriculture or medical sciences once the National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority (NBRA) Bill is cleared by Parliament, a senior official said here today.

"The NBRA bill has been introduced in Parliament and being debated. Once it (bill) is cleared, a more stringent safety regime shall be in place for genetic engineering, be it in the agriculture space or medical sciences," said S R Rao, Scientist, 'G' Department of Biotechnology Government of India.

He was addressing a gathering of farmers at ongoing Vibrant Gujarat Global Agriculture Summit-2013.

The authority is proposed to be an autonomous and statutory agency to regulate the research, transport, import, manufacture and use of organisms and products of modern bio-technology, he said.

India has signed the UN convention on biodiversity and Cartagena Protocol on bio-safety, which calls for a regulatory authority.

Making a strong pitch for adoption of bio-technology in agri sector, Rao said the spurt in Cotton production in India has set an example for adoption of technology.

The cotton production has been growing at a CAGR of 4.38 per cent, Rao said, adding other crops like pulses and others are still in negative territory.

According to experts, after switching over to BT Cotton, the yield in India has shot up from 328 kg per hectare to 491 kg per hectare in 2012, while acreage under the crop has gone up from 78 lakh to 120 lakh hectares.

Experts estimate that around 93 per cent of area in the country is now under BT Cotton even though disease-related issues continue to persist.

Rao said India ranked seventh in the world with 140 million hectares of area under cultivation. "And if the crop productivity has to be increased from 100 per cent to 250 per cent in an acre of land, then 80 per cent of contribution can come through ado."

Highlighting some of the research conducted in the country to boost yield, Rao said Swaminathan Institute has developed a high salt-tolerant rice variety using the genes of mangrove, the plant which grows in salty water near coasts.

"This rice variety can be grown in soil having around 10 pH value," he said.

Likewise, Bose Institute of Kolkata has drawn genes from garlic plant which has resistant properties to the sucking pest disease, Rao said.

"It is soon expected to go in for trials. A tomato variety having shelf life of over 50 days has been developed," Rao said.

According to the scientist, 23 bio-tech crops have been developed so far, and 67 biotech trials are underway in the country on crops like sugarcane, chicken pea and wheat among others.

Rao said some vested interests in the country are opposing adoption of bio-technology and as a result India is 20 years behind nations like Brazil and Argentina.

"Whether be it in science or productivity, we are 20 years behind compared to countries like Brazil and Argentina," he said.


Outlook, 10 September, 2013, http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=809584


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close