Former director of National Research Centre for Plant Biotechnology (NRCPB) P. Anand Kumar expressed his deep concern towards the “loss” happening to the Indian farming community because of the stringent biosafety guidelines in the country even when other countries are reaping the benefits.
Participating in the 10-day training workshop titled ‘Current Trends in Plant Biotechnology’, organised by the Agri Biotech Foundation and Federation of Asian Biotech Associations (FABA) , he presented the economic and environmental benefits of GM crops recorded during 1996-2008 in terms of increased crop yield, fall in pesticide use and reduced CO2 emissions, according to a press release on Monday. The conserved biodiversity ultimately helped lift 17 million small-scale farmers out of poverty, said Mr. Kumar
In India, however, the regulatory framework currently requires two-three year testing regime and no objection certificate from States for biotech crops. He highlighted the need for a more streamlined process to encourage innovation in agricultural biotechnology.
