Despite an apparent failure in the pilot project last year, the government has now planned to demonstrate genetically modified Bt brinjal at field level extensively in the upcoming season with a view to making it popular among farmers.
“This time, we will distribute seedlings among around 100 framers for one bigha of land each in four districts in October-November,” Dr Rafiqul Islam Mondol, director general of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), said.
Last year, the state-owned research facility distributed seedlings of four Bt brinjal varieties among 16 farmers in Gazipur, Jamaplpur, Rangpur and Ishwardi to plant those in one bigha land each. However, most of them yielded poor results.
The BARI chief acknowledged the issue and told the Dhaka Tribune that October-November would be the appropriate season for brinjal cultivation.
The farmers experienced some difficulties like dried-up seedlings and pest attacks because of demonstrating late, he said. “I hope this time the farmers will accept the varieties positively.”
The government on October 30 last year released four GM brinjal varieties – Bt Uttara, Bt Kajla, Bt Noyontara and Bt ISD 006 – for cultivating on a limited scale. BARI developed the varieties by inserting bt gene into the local varieties. The gene is patented by American seed giant Monsanto.
Brinjal is one of the major vegetables in Bangladesh in South Asia because of its price and taste.
Environmental activists have been expressing serious concerns about the biological and health hazards at home and abroad that the new breed of brinjal may pose. Several organisations and individuals also challenged the release of the GM crop with the top court seeking extensive assessment.
They criticise the government for introducing the controversial crop that is banned in many countries. It is also alleged that BARI itself has violated conditions for releasing the varieties by not labelling the Bt brinjals when sold in the local markets under the pilot project areas.
On the other hand, BARI argues that use of pesticide would fall remarkably in the fields producing Bt brinjal.
Despite such claims, the government on December 31 last year decided to request the Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR) to examine whether the controversial Bt brinjal had any adverse health impacts.
The move came after a UK importer threatened that the European Union would stop vegetable imports if any such GM brinjal is detected in a shipment.
The anti-GMO activists also allege that the government violated the country’s constitution by not following the guidelines of biosafety rules and two international protocols – the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Cartegena Protocol – by releasing the four GM varieties.
According to article 8G of the CBD and article 16 of the Cartegena Protocol, a country has to abide by existing laws and rules while introducing any GM crop at farmers’ level.
The four varieties were released after a seven-year experiment starting in 2006 with the technical support of Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco) of India in which the American seed giant Monsanto has a 26% stake.
According to an agreement signed among Mahyco, Sathguru Management Consultants Private Institute and BARI on March 14, 2005, ownership of the Bt brinjals would go to Mahyco, said Farida Akhter, executive director of Ubinig.
Sathguru Management Consultants Private Ltd is the regional coordinator of the South Asian region for Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project II (ABSP II) of the USAID.
“The most striking point of the agreement is that it has given an indemnity or BARI has given indemnity to Monsanto-Mahyco and Sathguru for any kind of disaster concerning Bt brinjal research,” Farida added.
Mahyco’s brinjal varieties, developed with the financial support of the USAID, were banned in India in 2010 after harmful effects had been exposed.
In addition to India and Bangladesh, the same group earlier developed GM brinjal varieties in the Philippines. But it was later stalled upon a court order, considering health hazards.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh government took an initiative to develop GM cotton varieties with a view to boosting cotton production. “The Cotton Development Board has already signed an agreement with China’s Huazhong Agricultural University, which will provide technical assistance for developing the variety,” said Md Tasdiqur Rahman, deputy director of the board.
