Agricultural research in India has hit a major roadblock in the last three years with several States deciding not to give no-objection certificates (NOCs) and Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) not meeting ahead of the crucial kharif season.
If it fails to meet in the next 2-3 weeks to consider applications for field trials, the industry fears that they will lose the third consecutive kharif season.
Await consideration
The industry, represented by ABLE-AG, points out that there are as many as 100 applications awaiting GEAC’s consideration in rice, maize, vegetables and cotton.
“By the time the new committee was formed in March 2013, planting season was lost. Though the consideration of applications was put on agenda in March, the issue never came up for discussion. To minimise another loss in planting season and a year, the industry expected the GEAC to take up the trials issue immediately,” Ram Kaundinya, Chairman of ABLE-AG, said.
When it met last, the GEAC had approved only some trials in hybrid cotton for a trait that had already been accepted earlier.
R & D spend
“Each company spends in the range of Rs 100-200 crore on research and development. If we don’t conduct the crucial trials for three years, it would mean that deferring of final output by three years,” Kaundinya, who is also the Managing Director of Advanta India, said.
The Association of Biotechnology-led Enterprises (Agriculture Group) represents about 12 top agriculture companies in the country, doing research in biotechnology-based seeds.
No response
“We have approached the Union Ministries of Agriculture and Environment and Forests to expedite the issue.
“But there has been no response from them. If the committee doesn’t meet in the next few weeks, we are going to lose yet another season,” he said.
Ram Kaundinya said the issue of giving clearances has slowed down from 2011 when the Union Government mandated the companies to get an NOC from the respective States.
After getting the GEAC approval for a trial, the companies need to approach the States for permission to carry out the trials.
But many of the States have not even formed the committees to consider the applications.
“Only a handful of States such as Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab and Haryana have given some NOCs.
“States such as Karnataka, Bihar and Tamil Nadu have said they are not going to allow the trials,” the ABLE-AG Chairman said.