The Pioneer, July 3, 2009
PNS | Bhubaneswar
Living Farms, an organisation of concerned individuals opposed to agrochemical TNCs — genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and chemical pesticides — has alleged in a letter to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik that seed dealers were busy selling Bt Cotton seeds to gullible farmers in the district of Kalahandi.
The fact was revealed during a recent field visit, Debjeet Sarangi and Jagannath Chatterjee of Living Farms claimed in the letter while earnestly requesting the CM to take immediate steps to stop the illegal sale and cultivation.
The branded seeds Kaveri Encounter Bt (KCH 135 Bt) of Kaveri Seeds Limited, Tulasi Bollguard Hybrid (Tulasi-4 BG) of Tulasi Seeds Pvt Ltd, Dyna Bt seed, Sigma, JK and other varieties are being stocked by seed dealers at other locations and provided to the farmers when they demand for it, the letter stated.
The farmers when interviewed said that they have been promised 16 quintals per acre of yield. They have also been told that these seeds are pest resistant. They are also getting the seeds on credit and therefore they have been motivated to cultivate the Bt variety. Upon being told that the cultivation is illegal the farmers remain silent, the letter informed.
Living Farms has also expressed its apprehension about the fate of the small farmers who are adopting this crop, many for the first time. Living Farms works with farmers’ organisations and promotes and advocates for ecological agriculture and pushes for genuine agrarian reform as the foundation of food security and sovereignty and social justice.
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