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    Home > Food News > Food Articles > Bayer restarts plan to introduce new GM cotton seeds in India

    Bayer restarts plan to introduce new GM cotton seeds in India

    • Last Update: 2022-03-02
    • Source: Internet
    • Author: User
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    Germany 's Bayer has applied to plant its next-generation genetically modified (GM) cotton seeds in India, government sources said, reviving plans to bring high-yielding, herbicide -tolerant varieties into the country
    .
     
    Bayer, which bought Monsanto for $63 billion in 2018, has refiled its application for the Bollgard II RRF, signaling renewed interest from foreign seed, agrochemical and agtech companies in India
    .
     
    Bayer resubmitted its application in December seeking to grow the Bollgard II RRF variety, said the source, who asked not to be named under official rules
    .
     
    "Bayer has resubmitted the dossier through its local joint venture partner to seek regulatory approval to launch the RRF in India," said a government source familiar with the matter
    .
    "Once the regulatory approval process starts, it may take several years for Bayer to obtain final approval
    .
    "
     
    It is unclear when the approval process will begin, the sources said
    .
    "Our efforts are aimed at increasing crop productivity, doubling farmers' incomes and making Indian agriculture sustainable and globally competitive," Bayer said
    .
     
      Agricultural policy experts say genetically modified cotton seed varieties could lower planting costs in India, boost crop yields and be the nemesis of the pink bollworm
    .
     
      Pink bollworm has recently become a major threat to Indian cotton crops
    .
    The infestation has also affected farmers' incomes, with nearly 20 to 30 percent of cotton fields in the country's 12-13 million hectares infested with mealworms, according to estimates from industry bodies and farmers
    .
     
      India first allowed the cultivation of GM cotton in 2002 with the approval of Monsanto's single-gene Bollgard I technology, which soon accounted for 90 percent of India's cotton acreage
    .
    Apart from GM cotton, India has not approved any other GM crops
    .
     
      New Delhi approved Monsanto's dual-gene Bollgard II in 2006, helping India become the world's No.
    1 cotton producer and No.
    2 fiber exporter, with a fourfold increase in production
    .
    India was previously a net importer of cotton
    .
     
      But crop yields have stagnated since then, and farmers say existing varieties are losing efficacy and are more vulnerable to pests such as pink bollworm
    .
     
      "In the absence of new varieties, Indian farmers are forced to rely on outdated technology," said the head of a global seed company, who requested anonymity
    .
     
      "While India is lagging, other producers have adopted newer cottonseed technologies over the past 15 years
    .
    "
     
      Another major attraction for farmers is the ease of weed management, said Bhagirath Choudhary, director of the South Asia Biotechnology Center, an organization that promotes biotechnology
    .
    The Asia Biotechnology Association lists many government-run scientific institutions and private companies as its research partners, including Bayer
    .
     
      “The RRF variety could significantly reduce the cost of cultivation for millions of poor smallholder farmers in India, as the labor cost of removing unwanted vegetation and picking weeds alone accounts for 65 percent of the total cost of cotton cultivation in the country,” Choudhary said
    .
    German genetically modified herbicide
     
      Bayer, which bought Monsanto for $63 billion in 2018, has refiled its application for the Bollgard II RRF, signaling renewed interest from foreign seed, agrochemical and agtech companies in India
    .
     
      Bayer resubmitted its application in December seeking to grow the Bollgard II RRF variety, said the source, who asked not to be named under official rules
    .
     
      "Bayer has resubmitted the dossier through its local joint venture partner to seek regulatory approval to launch the RRF in India," said a government source familiar with the matter
    .
    "Once the regulatory approval process starts, it may take several years for Bayer to obtain final approval
    .
    "
     
      It is unclear when the approval process will begin, the sources said
    .
    "Our efforts are aimed at increasing crop productivity, doubling farmers' incomes and making Indian agriculture sustainable and globally competitive," Bayer said
    .
     
      Agricultural policy experts say genetically modified cotton seed varieties could lower planting costs in India, boost crop yields and be the nemesis of the pink bollworm
    .
     
      Pink bollworm has recently become a major threat to Indian cotton crops
    .
    The infestation has also affected farmers' incomes, with nearly 20 to 30 percent of cotton fields in the country's 12-13 million hectares infested with mealworms, according to estimates from industry bodies and farmers
    .
     
      India first allowed the cultivation of GM cotton in 2002 with the approval of Monsanto's single-gene Bollgard I technology, which soon accounted for 90 percent of India's cotton acreage
    .
    Apart from GM cotton, India has not approved any other GM crops
    .
     
      New Delhi approved Monsanto's dual-gene Bollgard II in 2006, helping India become the world's No.
    1 cotton producer and No.
    2 fiber exporter, with a fourfold increase in production
    .
    India was previously a net importer of cotton
    .
     
      But crop yields have stagnated since then, and farmers say existing varieties are losing efficacy and are more vulnerable to pests such as pink bollworm
    .
     
      "In the absence of new varieties, Indian farmers are forced to rely on outdated technology," said the head of a global seed company, who requested anonymity
    .
     
      "While India is lagging, other producers have adopted newer cottonseed technologies over the past 15 years
    .
    "
     
      Another major attraction for farmers is the ease of weed management, said Bhagirath Choudhary, director of the South Asia Biotechnology Center, an organization that promotes biotechnology
    .
    The Asia Biotechnology Association lists many government-run scientific institutions and private companies as its research partners, including Bayer
    .
     
      “The RRF variety could significantly reduce the cost of cultivation for millions of poor smallholder farmers in India, as the labor cost of removing unwanted vegetation and picking weeds alone accounts for 65 percent of the total cost of cotton cultivation in the country,” Choudhary said
    .
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