ISLAMABAD (June 10 2009): Ignoring bio-safety norms and business ethics, the cotton growers have sowed about 70 percent BT Cotton seed in different parts of Punjab and Sindh province, sources told Daily Times Tuesday.

Mostly the big landlords including federal and provincial ministers bought un-registered BT Cotton varieties and applied in their respective fields and ignored sale of illegal seeds in a blatant violation of international agreements and treaties.

The sources further said that until now there had been a huge spread of unscrupulous BT cotton varieties of unknown origin during last 2-3 years.

No concerned department was in position to control this dangerous spread due to lack of legal basis for the check. There was absolutely no know-how of concerns of biotech products and GMOs.

Varieties were of unknown origin multiplied and distributed informally by the cotton growers. Some OPV BT cotton varieties have been informally imported, multiplied and distributed by some farmers and breeders.

Enforcement of seed laws was difficult or sometime impossible due to various reasons. Post facto approval had been granted to different institutes various biotech activities carried before promulgation of National Bio-safety Regulations. Informal BT cotton varieties had multiple adverse affects including violation of national rules and regulations.

The application of informal product (BT Cotton seeds) badly affected confidence and enthusiasm of the law abiding technology developers and seed companies, and huge loss to national exchequer in the form of tax revenue. Such activities confused and mislead farmers about application of seed variety, the sources maintained.

The dilemma was that no public research institute or public or private seed company or department was interested to adopt a proper protocol for official testing and release of BT cotton varieties.

The government was bring changes in the existing Seed Act 1976 to make the seed legislation more effective under the changing scenario of WTO and to meet the requirements of the private sector and of the emerging seed industry.

Courtesy Daily Times