GM Mustard Takes A Big Step Forward, But Other Hurdles Remain

New Delhi: The government has found that there is no danger in allowing the commercial cultivation of genetically modified (GM) mustard - what could be India's first transgenic food crop.

A report by the Environment Ministry states that GM mustard "does not raise any public health or safety concerns for human beings and animals with respect for overall nutritional characteristics". It also states the genetically modified component is not present in mustard oil.

The GM mustard crop has not been released for use in farmer fields just yet and there are several steps which include a political call being taken by the environment minister and by the agriculture minister.

The report has been posted online and seeks the public's feedback within a month. People can use this link to post their comments. The comments can also be emailed to mustard.mef@gov.in till October 5, 2016.

The mustard variety has been developed by a group of Delhi scientists over the past decade.  

Allowing GM mustard is seen as critical to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's goal of attaining self-sufficiency in edible oils.

India spends around $12 billion annually on vegetable oil imports. GM mustard - with yields up to 30 percent higher than normal varieties, also loosely called rapeseed - will give the government a chance to slash this bill.

But public opposition to lab-altered food remains fierce, including from groups close to the ruling BJP and activists who cite safety concerns.

This could throw a spanner in the works for GM mustard, which recently got technical approval from a panel of government and independent experts after multiple reviews of crop trial data.

In 2010, India placed a moratorium on GM eggplant and that too after an expert panel had given its clearance, effectively bringing the regulatory system to a deadlock.

But PM Modi, who was instrumental in making Gujarat India's leading user of GM cotton while Chief Minister there, cleared several field trials for GM crops soon after taking office in New Delhi in 2014.

"You must have different parameters for what you eat and what you only come in contact with, like cotton," said Environment Minister Dave, whose ministry decided on GM crops.

Mr Dave, a river conservationist and amateur pilot, said the government's aim was to make regulation on GM crops foolproof and that people's views would be taken into consideration before finalizing anything.

The government is at loggerheads with Monsanto over how much the world's biggest seed company can charge for the GM cotton seeds it supplies, after some farmer groups complained about high rates.

India has also proposed that Monsanto, which dominates India's GM cotton seed market, share its technology with local firms.

Monsanto has said it is contemplating leaving India, its biggest market outside the Americas, and recently pulled an application to sell next-generation cotton seeds.

Mr Dave brushed aside concerns that Monsanto's withdrawal of the cotton variety will hurt Indian farmers as existing seeds become vulnerable to pests.

"Indian scientists are capable enough to meet the requirement of Indian farmers, in every crop," he said.