BELLARY: The meeting between members of a high-power committee headed by Assistant Commissioner Bellary and representatives of Monsanto, a multi-national seeds company having a seeds processing unit on the outskirts of the city, on Friday remained inconclusive. The parties failed to reach a compromise.

The meeting was convened to decide the loss of yield of maize crop supplied by Monsanto. A survey was conducted to assess the loss and a report was submitted and the company was to announce the extent of help to farmers who suffered a loss.

According to the committee, as many as 624 farmers had reported loss of crop in and around Rupanagudi, Shankarbanda, Tirumal Nagar, Tirumal Nagar Camp and B. Gonal on about 5,000 acres of land as the grain formation in the maize crop was not proper.

A sub-committee, comprising a village accountant, agricultural scientist, agricultural assistant and a representative of Monsanto, conducted a crop cutting experiment on about 2,200 acres of land belonging to 460 farmers and said that in the case of 237 farmers, the yield was below 40 quintals an acre.

In the case of 170 and 64 farmers, the yield was less than 35 and 25 quintals an acre, respectively. A report was also submitted to the committee.

However, representatives of Monsanto did not agree to the extent of loss as projected by the sub-committee.

According to them, the loss of yield was not as high as assessed by the committee and the company differed over conversion of the yield during crop cutting experiment into acreage.

It also insisted that 35 quintals an acre be the benchmark instead of 40.

Ajai Rana, representative of Monsanto, told The Hindu that the company was ready to extend help to farmers for the loss in the yield but only after getting a report from the Indian Council of

Agricultural Research (ICAR). "There is no defect in the quality of the seeds. Our survey shows that the yield has been beyond the average and in some cases the yield has been very good. The company is ready to help the farmers case by case," he said.

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