SEA asks govt to provide 100 kgs of GM mustard for cultivation in current rabi season

Edible oils industry body SEA on Wednesday urged the Union agriculture ministry to provide 100 kilograms of GM mustard seeds for cultivation in its model farms in the current rabi season. On October 25, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) recommended the ''environment release'' of transgenic mustard hybrid DMH-11 and the parental lines containing barnase, barstar and bar genes so that they can be used for developing new hybrids under the supervision of The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

In a letter written to Agriculture Secretary Manoj Ahuja, the Solvent Extractors Association (SEA) President Ajay Jhunjhunwala said it plans to establish 1,000 mustard farms in key growing states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana in this rabi season.

SEA wants to utilise about 200 mustard model farmers for cultivation of GM mustard variety during the current rabi season itself, he said.

''We shall be thankful to kindly provide us 100 kilograms of GM mustard seeds for sowing in the model farmers,'' he added.

Sowing of mustard has already begun from October in the ongoing rabi season.