Surprised by Niti Aayog Member Ramesh Chand’s support for genetically modified (GM) crops, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), an RSS affiliate, has called for a permanent stop to any promotion of GM crops.
BKS’ stand against GM crops has been consistent and becomes critical in the context of the US government, currently, pressurising India to import its soyabean and corn.
“Why should we go for all those GM crops? We don’t need all these crops. Let us once and for all stop all these discussions and experiments on GM crops in our country,” BKS general secretary Mohini Mohan Mishra told businessline.
Chand recently told media about need for allowing GM crop in India, particularly referring to import dependence on edible oil. He said by allowing GM soyabean the production could be doubled in the country. India had harvested 15.13 million tonnes of soyabean, a kharif crop, from 12.94 million hectares area with an average yield of 1.17 tonnes/ha in 2024-25.
Terming Chand’s remarks “astonishing”, Mishra said Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has declared that GM has many unresolved questions on issues raised by farmers, scientists and consumers. “Unless these issues are resolved, the government will not allow GM crops,” he said.
Demanding that Chand correct his statement, the BKS general secretary said it is very confusing since it is in variance with the position of the Agriculture Ministry and FSSAI. “If he has been given such a statement, he should have known all these things. So, if there is no coordination within the government, that is a big question,” Mishra said.
He further said that GM technology is highly unsustainable and cited the case of Bt cotton saying it was sustained for only initial 2-3 years, all diversity has been closed. There is no biodiversity in cotton any more and production has also reduced.
Asked why BKS is opposing BG-III technology in India, he said: “It is a gimmick. What do you mean by BG III, it is herbicide tolerant, where we have to use glyphosate. And glyphosate gives free cancer to everybody. It is proven. Glyphosate also eliminates the biodiversity, it increases malnutrition.”
Experts in the edible oil industry said soyabean oil is imported because the GM content is not present in the oil, and it is present only in soyameal. FSSAI in 2020 released guidelines on the import of food products having origin in GM crops, under which importers have to have a non-GM source certificate.
The BKS leader also said 80 per cent of GM corn and GM soya in America is used as animal feed and remaining 20 per cent goes for their ethanol programme. “We have a big question. If they are using it as animal feed, are we animals in India, are we not human?” he questioned.
Regarding allowing import of GM corn using for ethanol purpose, he questioned: “Why should we import? Those people are arguing that we can import. Why should we import? Are we producing less amount in our country?”
He suggested that once farmers paid a better price and procurement is assured, they will produce as much as the country requires and there is no need to import. “Our farmers are ready to produce as much as you want without any GM crops. In rice, wheat, vegetables, fruits, fish, milk, we are more than sufficient in production without GM,” he stressed.
The BKS leader alleged that vested interests have kept pulses and edible oils in a weak position as a result, of which there is a gap in production and demand. He cited the case of coconut oil not declared as a cooking oil and alleged that adulteration of one oil with another oil in the name of blending is continuing.
“Why FSSAI has permitted sales of adulterated edible oils in the name of blending? You stop these things. Our country will be self-sufficient in both the crops, pulses and edible oils. Nobody can stop it,” he said adding all the state governments should implement assured procurement of oilseeds and pulses.
Published on April 23, 2025
Surprised by Niti Aayog Member Ramesh Chand’s support for genetically modified (GM) crops, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (BKS), an RSS affiliate, has called for a permanent stop to any promotion of GM crops.
BKS’ stand against GM crops has been consistent and becomes critical in the context of the US government, currently, pressurising India to import its soyabean and corn.
“Why should we go for all those GM crops? We don’t need all these crops. Let us once and for all stop all these discussions and experiments on GM crops in our country,” BKS general secretary Mohini Mohan Mishra told businessline.
Chand recently told media about need for allowing GM crop in India, particularly referring to import dependence on edible oil. He said by allowing GM soyabean the production could be doubled in the country. India had harvested 15.13 million tonnes of soyabean, a kharif crop, from 12.94 million hectares area with an average yield of 1.17 tonnes/ha in 2024-25.
Terming Chand’s remarks “astonishing”, Mishra said Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has declared that GM has many unresolved questions on issues raised by farmers, scientists and consumers. “Unless these issues are resolved, the government will not allow GM crops,” he said.
Demanding that Chand correct his statement, the BKS general secretary said it is very confusing since it is in variance with the position of the Agriculture Ministry and FSSAI. “If he has been given such a statement, he should have known all these things. So, if there is no coordination within the government, that is a big question,” Mishra said.
He further said that GM technology is highly unsustainable and cited the case of Bt cotton saying it was sustained for only initial 2-3 years, all diversity has been closed. There is no biodiversity in cotton any more and production has also reduced.
Asked why BKS is opposing BG-III technology in India, he said: “It is a gimmick. What do you mean by BG III, it is herbicide tolerant, where we have to use glyphosate. And glyphosate gives free cancer to everybody. It is proven. Glyphosate also eliminates the biodiversity, it increases malnutrition.”
Experts in the edible oil industry said soyabean oil is imported because the GM content is not present in the oil, and it is present only in soyameal. FSSAI in 2020 released guidelines on the import of food products having origin in GM crops, under which importers have to have a non-GM source certificate.
The BKS leader also said 80 per cent of GM corn and GM soya in America is used as animal feed and remaining 20 per cent goes for their ethanol programme. “We have a big question. If they are using it as animal feed, are we animals in India, are we not human?” he questioned.
Regarding allowing import of GM corn using for ethanol purpose, he questioned: “Why should we import? Those people are arguing that we can import. Why should we import? Are we producing less amount in our country?”
He suggested that once farmers paid a better price and procurement is assured, they will produce as much as the country requires and there is no need to import. “Our farmers are ready to produce as much as you want without any GM crops. In rice, wheat, vegetables, fruits, fish, milk, we are more than sufficient in production without GM,” he stressed.
The BKS leader alleged that vested interests have kept pulses and edible oils in a weak position as a result, of which there is a gap in production and demand. He cited the case of coconut oil not declared as a cooking oil and alleged that adulteration of one oil with another oil in the name of blending is continuing.
“Why FSSAI has permitted sales of adulterated edible oils in the name of blending? You stop these things. Our country will be self-sufficient in both the crops, pulses and edible oils. Nobody can stop it,” he said adding all the state governments should implement assured procurement of oilseeds and pulses.
Published on April 23, 2025
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It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution
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