The Hindu : National : Biotechnology regulatory authority for agriculture mooted

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Thursday, Jun 03, 2004

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National

Biotechnology regulatory authority for agriculture mooted

By Our Special Correspondent

Agricultural scientist and head of the National Commission on Farmers, M.S. Swaminathan handing over a report of the Task Force on Agricultural Bio-technology to the Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar, in New Delhi on Wednesday. — Photo: R.V. Moorthy

NEW DELHI, JUNE 2. A Task Force on Applications of Biotechnology in Agriculture, headed by the agriculture scientist, M.S. Swaminathan, has recommended the constitution of an autonomous National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority (NBRA) in the next three years for promoting and monitoring use of biotechnology in agriculture.

Submitting his report to the Union Minister for Agriculture and Food, Sharad Pawar, here today, Dr. Swaminathan said it was for the Government to study the report and decide on accepting its recommendations. High priority should be accorded in taking the help of transgenic approach to the crops and to make them resistant to insect-pests and diseases, including viruses, and also to drought and salinity.

Transgenic research should not be undertaken in crops and commodities where international trade would be affected as in the case of Basmati rice, soyabean or Darjeeling Tea.

Regions in the country which represent either primary or secondary centres of genetic diversity in major crops such as rice should be conserved for posterity as "agro-biodiversity sanctuaries." The Task Force was set up last year.

Mr. Pawar said that Dr. Swaminathan would head the National Commission on Farmers which would include the concerns of the Common Minimum Programme of the United Progressive Alliance. Mr. Pawar said the benchmark of the national agricultural biotechnology policy would be to ensure food security along with health security of the consumer and protection of the environment and biodiversity.

The Task Force suggested that the proposed regulatory authority would have two wings — one for agricultural and food and other for medical and pharmaceutical formulations. It advocated single window clearance for the new genetically modified (GM) varieties.

The testing of the GM crop varieties should be handled at the national level by an All-India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) under the aegis of the Indian Council for Agriculture Research (ICAR.

It recommended that until the proposed NBRA came into existence, the Monitoring and Evaluation Committees (MEC) should report to the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC). The GEAC is at present an apex body under the Environment Ministry for approving the biotechnology applications from biosafety and environmental aspects.

The guiding principle should be: "The bottomline of our national agricultural biotechnology policy should be the economic well-being of farm families, food security of the nation, health security of the consumer, protection of the environment and the security of our national and international trade in farm commodities."

It suggested provision of additional Rs. 1,200 crores as funds in support of its various recommendations.

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