1. NGO sends 'good food' to PM
2. UPA ministers back Nitish opposition to Seed Bill
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1. NGO sends 'good food' to PM
The Times of India
Mar 16, 2011
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-03-16/chennai/28698403_1_golden-rice-beta-carotene-import-rice

CHENNAI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will soon receive a unique gift hamper of food rich in Vitamin A, sent to him by scientists and citizens associated with Safe Food Alliance, an NGO.

On World Consumers Day on Tuesday, citizens sent the hamper as a sign of protest against a statement by the Prime Minister advocating genetically modified rice.
Experts in the city have expressed displeasure over the Prime Minister's statement of promoting golden rice, a genetically modified variety of rice, to give people in the country their quota of vitamin A.

On a recent conference on leveraging agriculture for improving nutrition and health, the Prime Minister had said, "Golden rice containing beta carotene provides the calories as well as nutritional supplements that take care of several diseases with Vitamin A deficiencies."

Biotechnologists said when many naturally available, cheaper and home grown options for Vitamin A were available, it did not make sense to import rice from other countries for their vitamin A content. "Carrot, spinach, greens and millets available in abundance are a natural source of beta carotene," said professor Sultan Ismail, a biotechnology professor at New College, Chennai.

He added that naturally available rice was not a source of beta carotene and vitamin A at all and golden rice has carotenoids injected artificially, and hence the golden color. Only if a person consumes 9 kg of golden rice a day would it meet the Vitamin A requirements of a person. "There are so many nutritious foods which a poor man can access every day. Why are these not being promoted?" asked Dr G Sivaraman of an NGO, Poovalagin Nanbargal.'

Members of Safe Food Alliance raised objection to the state government allowing the Tamil Nadu Agriculture University to take up GM maize trials in the state. "Bihar has disallowed such field trials, and we want Tamil Nadu to follow suit," said Ananthoo, coordinator of Safe Food Alliance.
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2. UPA ministers back Nitish opposition to Seed Bill
ET Bureau, Mar 16, 2011
Sharad Pawar
http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-03-16/news/28698000_1_seeds-bill-goal-of-food-security-nitish-kumar

NEW DELHI: A section of Congress is set to back the demand of chief ministers of BJP and other Opposition-ruled states to reject the Seeds Bill, 2010, in its present form.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, spearheading the campaign against the bill, has told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar that the bill, whose avowed purpose is to facilitate production and supply of seeds of quality, will put the peasantry at the "mercy of agri-businesses."

This stand of Kumar found backing of a section within the Government and members of the National Advisory Council. Ministers like Jairam Ramesh are against rushing into the use of GM crops without adequate safeguards.

In separate letters to the Prime Minister and Pawar, Nitish Kumar said the act should not be passed by Parliament without according the Seed Committee the power to decide on the price of the seed.

"Out experience with private companies producing hybrid maize seeds underscores this. While public sector companies like NSC sell seeds at less than Rs 100 per kg, the cost of private seeds run into hundreds and thousands of rupees."

Kumar said the Centre's attempts to intervene in an area that falls under state's domain - agriculture is a state subject - is unacceptable. "State governments should have the authority to fix the retail seed price and royalty charges. State governments should also be empowered to register seeds that are locally suitable and appropriate," he said.

"In addition, authorisation of seed production, processing, storage, distribution and sale should be with the state government. If seeds have to be registered with the National Register of Seeds, it is imperative that state governments must be given the authority to decide on which of these registered seeds can be licensed to be used in their state," Kumar said.

The support for the tough stand against is certain to make its passage difficult. "We cannot back this bill as it would damage agriculture and the goal of food security," said a Congress leader.