Question : CULTIVATION OF B T COTTON

(a) whether the Union Government is aware that according to scientists of the Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, the Cry 1 AC based BT Cotton Technology would not be successful in our country;

(b) whether the Union Government is also aware that the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee has granted approval for commercial cultivation of varieties of BT Cotton;

(c) if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the reaction of the Union Government in this regard?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND F0RESTS(SHRI. NAMO NARAIN MEENA)

(a) The Government has not received any report from the scientists of the Central Institute for Cotton Research, Nagpur, which indicates that the Cry 1 AC based Bt Cotton Technology would not be successful in our country.

(b) & (c) The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has approved twenty varieties of Bt Cotton for commercial cultivation in the country. List of the approved varieties is enclosed at Annexure I.

(d) The Bt Cotton varieties approved by the GEAC, have been extensively tested in the contained and multi-locational trials under supervision of the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) as well as the large scale field trials of the GEAC and the Indian Council of Agriculture & Research (ICAR) testing system as per the detailed guidelines and procedures framed for the purpose. The large-scale field trials and ICAR trials have been evaluated by the Monitoring–cum–Evaluation Committee (MEC) and the Indian Council of Agriculture & Research respectively. The GEAC has taken into consideration the recommendations of the MEC and ICAR on the efficacy of the Bt seeds to control bollworms while approving the Bt variety for commercial cultivation. The GEAC also took into consideration the demand by the State Govts and farmers for transfer of Bt technology into robust and high yielding cotton vanities.


Annexure-I

ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF THE LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3751 DUE FOR REPLY ON 22.8.05 REGARDING CULTIVATION OF B T COTTON.

Bt Cotton varieties approved for commercial cultivation in the various zones.

S.NO	Name of Hybrids	Name of Company	Zone
Approval granted in 2002####	MECH 12 Bt	M/s Mahyco	Central & South	MECH 184 Bt	M/s Mahyco	Central & South	MECH 162 Bt	M/s Mahyco	Central & South

1.
RCH 2 Bt
M/s Rasi Seeds Ltd
Central & South
Approval granted in 2005
2.
NCS – 207 Mallika
M/s Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd.
Central & South
3.
NCS – 145 Bunny
M/s Nuziveedu Seeds Ltd.
Central & South
4.
RCH –144 Bt
M/s Rasi Seeds Ltd
Central
5.
RCH –118 Bt
M/s Rasi Seeds Ltd
Central
6.
RCH - 138 Bt
M/s Rasi Seeds Ltd
Central
7.
RCH – 20 Bt
M/s Rasi Seeds Ltd
South
8.
RCH – 368 Bt
M/s Rasi Seeds Ltd
South
9.
RCH – 134 Bt
M/s Rasi Seeds Ltd
North
10.
RCH – 317 Bt
M/s Rasi Seeds Ltd
North
11.
MRC – 6322 Bt
M/s Mahyco
South
12.
MRC – 6918 Bt
M/s Mahyco
South
13.
MRC – 6301 Bt
M/s Mahyco
Central & North
14.
MRC – 6304 Bt
M/s Mahyco
North
15.
Ankur – 651 Bt
M/s Ankur Seeds Ltd
Central & North
16.
Ankur 2534 Bt
M/s Ankur Seeds Ltd
North
17.
Ankur – 09
M/s Ankur Seeds Ltd
Central