NEWS FROM INDIA
1. "Don't depend on MNCs for seeds, fertilizers" - farmers' leader
2. Farmers groups continue to oppose India's Seed Bill
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1. "Don't depend on MNCs for seeds, fertilizers"
Staff Correspondent
The Hindu
Jun 10, 2011
http://bit.ly/l7PCaK
Kadidal Shamanna, farmers' leader, has urged farmers not to depend on multi-national corporations for seeds and fertilizers.
He was speaking at a programme organised here on Thursday under the aegis of Sahaja Samrudha organisation to distribute native varieties of seeds among farmers.
High yield
He said farmers should exchange the native varieties of seeds and free themselves from the clutches of multi-national corporations. The native varieties of seeds had the capacity to deliver high yield by braving vagaries of weather. Research had proved that some native strains had medicinal quality. The practice of exchanging seeds had been prevalent prior to the green revolution. The system needed to be revived and farmers should develop a network to exchange seeds and share knowledge of farming, he said.
The excessive dependence on MNCs for seeds and fertilizers had pushed farmers to dire straits. Referring to the incident of the police firing on farmers who were protesting for fertilizers in Haveri, he said that such a situation could be avoided by promoting farmers to become self-reliant.
The nationwide campaign against Bt brinjal proved that farmers were against genetic engineering. He said genetic engineering would create serious imbalance in the nature.
Agriculture expert Krishnaprasad said farmers who grow cotton, maize, and sunflower had lost the freedom to select seeds. MNCs engaged in seed business were trying to deceive farmers by creating myths in the name of genetic engineering. The high-yielding varieties introduced by MNCs had failed in Indian conditions, he said.
Chikkaswamy of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha said farmers should collect, process, and exchange the high-yield varieties of native seeds.
Progressive farmer Revanasiddappa of Sindhanur spoke.
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2. Farmers groups continue to oppose India's Seed Bill
Commodityonline.com
10 June 2011
http://bit.ly/lxeBI2
Many farmers organizations across India continued their campaign against the proposed seed bill by saying it will increase the domination of multi-national seed companies in the country and may force farmers to pay royalty on hybrid seeds.
Chief Minister of North Indian State of Bihar Nitish Kumar joined the core of protestors Friday and described the Bill as "dangerous" for millions of farmers in the country.
He said the bill in its present form would lead to unrestricted commercialisation of seed varieties in the public domain, including those developed by the farmers.
The Forum For Biotechnology and Food Security said the bill, if passed by the Parliament, would nullify the traditional rights of farmers given by PVPFRA on seeds.
Farmers' outfits say the Bill neither proposes time-bound disposal of complaints nor a fast-track arbitration authority accessible to farmers.
Farmers fear that the provisional registration granted for transgenic varieties will facilitate the entry of untested seeds and genetically modified crops into the market through the backdoor.
Country's Cabinet cleared the Bill last month. Sources said the government is keen to introduce the Bill this to the government, aims at regulating the quality of seeds for sale, import and export and to facilitate production and supply of good quality seeds.
The draft of the proposed act shows objectionable leniency towards those selling fake and poor quality seeds.
The maximum punishment proposed in the act, one lakh rupees, is not a sufficient deterrent considering the fact that some of the branded seeds are sold at exorbitant price of Rs 60,000-100,000 / Kilo.
The bill also proposes to set up a central agency entitled for the registration of seeds. The bill also proposes to give certification rights to companies based abroad. Experts say in such a scenario any company will set up dummy certification agency and will certify their own seeds