Modi Govt Being Blackmailed by MNCs on GM Crops, Say RSS-Linked Farmers' Unions

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MMB had written to the Centre terming the National Seeds Association’s threat to stop the sale of Bolllgard 11 as ‘irresponsible’ and against farmer’s interest.

New Delhi: RSS-affiliated farmers' unions Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM) and Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS) have termed Mayhco Monsanto Biotech’s (MMB) letter to the government on Bt Cotton seeds as an attempt to 'blackmail', pressurise the government.

MMB had written to the Centre terming the National Seeds Association’s threat to stop the sale of Bolllgard 11 seeds as ‘irresponsible’ and against farmer’s interest.

"It is an attempt to coerce the key stakeholders and create a crisis for farmers," the company said.

In response, BKS' general secretary Mohini Mohan said, “The government is under pressure from these MNCs. For years they have been failing the tests yet they have stayed on. Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee, which is the regulatory body has failed to curb them.”

Mohan further alleges that Bollgard I had failed in 2005, which was followed by Bollgard II’s failure in 2009. “The MNC came up with Herbicide tolerant seed, which lead to farmer suicides in Yavatmal, Maharashtra. Around 80 farmers have died. Monsanto is blackmailing the government, which is under pressure from these lobbies,” he said.

“Monsanto should go back, as it is important for seed sovereignty. We can produce our own seeds like we did in the past. There is no need to have the domination of a few seeds. The Bollgard XI continues without any call-back from authorities,” Mohan alleges.

The National Seeds Association of India (NSAI) had expressed doubts over MMB’s role in selling Bt cotton seeds and threatened to stop the sale of Bollgard XI from January 2018.

MMB’s director Satyender Singh then wrote to the Association, while CEO Shilpa Diveker wrote to Minister Radha Mohan Singh.

The MNC asked the government to work in maintaining the progress of technology and accused the NSAI of having bilateral disputes and vested interests. Monsanto is a global firm which claims to be committed to increasing food supply by 2050 with present farmlands, while MMB is a 50:50 joint venture between Mahyco and Monsanto Holdings. The company has sub-licensed Bollgard XI seeds and Bollgard technologies to around 42 Indian seed companies.