VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI
REGD. OFFICE: 11, TRISARAN SOCIETY, KHAMLA, NAGPUR - 440 025.
PH. 2282447/457 MOBILE-9422108846. vidarbha@gmail.com
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REF: - FARMERS SUICIDES VERY-URGENT- PRESS-NOTE DATED8H DEC. 2006
VJAS MOVED HIGH COURT AGAINST CENTRAL GOVT. DECISION NOT TO BAN BT. COTTON IN INDIA.
BT. COTTON FAILURE IS MAIN CAUSE VIDARBHA FARM SUICIDES
NAGPUR-8TH DECEMBER -2006,
VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI WHO HAS ALREADY FILED PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION (PIL)IN THE MATTER OF FARMERS SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA IN THE NAGPUR BENCH OF MUMBAI HIGH COURT IN LAST FEB.,2006 IN WHICH IT IS CHARGED THAT THE MASS FAILURE OF BT. COTTON HAS BEEN MAIN CAUSE FARMER’S DISTRESS RESULTING ON GOING SUICIDES OF FARMERS AND MADE PLEA TO HIGH COURT TO BAN FOR COMMERCIAL CULTIVATION IN VIDARBHA AS IT IS MAIN CAUSE AGRARIAN CRISIS IN THE REGION AND GOVT. OF MAHARASHTRA HAS ALREADY PAID RS. 134 CRORE AS COMPENSATION TO FARMERS IN YEAR 2005 AND SET TO PAY MORE COMPENSATION THIS YEAR TOO AS IT IS REPORTED THAT THERE IS MASS FAILURE OF BT. COTTON THIS YEAR TOO IN VIDARBHA.
KISHORE TIWARI ,PRESIDENT OF VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI WHO HAS ALREADY FILED PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION CHALLENGING THE MASS COMMERCIAL CULTIVATION OF BT. COTTON IN RAIN FED AREA HAS MOVED HIGH COURT AGAINST GOVT. OF INDIA RECENT DECISION NOT TO BAN MASS CULTIVATION BT. COTTON IN INDIA.
IT IS REPORTED IN THE PRESS THAT THE PLAN OF GOVT. OF INDIA TO FURTHER PROMOTE THE BT. COTTON AT THE COST OF ON GOING FARMER’S SUICIDE IS VERU UNFORTUNATE AND MORE OVER GOVT. OF INDIA IS NOT READY REVIEW REPORTS OF MAHARSHTRA GOVT. OFFICIALS WHO HAS MADE IT IT CLEARED THAT BT.COTTON IS FAILED IN RAIN FED AREA OF VIDARBHA ,REPORT SAYS THAT
I QUOTE
GOVT. HAS NO PLANS TO BAN BT COTTON: BHURIA
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200612041840.htm
NEW DELHI, DEC. 4 (PTI): THE GOVERNMENT HAS NO PLANS OF BANNING THE GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS INCLUDING BT COTTON, MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE, KANTI LAL BHURIA, SAID.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE MAJOR RELIEF TO THE BT COTTON FARMERS, WHO ARE ENTITLED TO GROW THE TRANSGENIC CROP ON A COMMERCIAL BASIS.
IN INDIA, THE DESIGNATED AUTHORITY, GENETIC ENGINEERING APPROVAL COMMITTEE, FOR COMMERCIAL CULTIVATION, HAS APPROVED ONLY GENETICALLY MODIFIED COTTON.
INTERESTINGLY, THE MINISTER ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE BT COTTON ACREAGE IN THE COUNTRY HAS BEEN RISING ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS, SINCE ITS APPROVAL IN 2002.
THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT CONTEMPLATING ANY BAN OR FORMULATION OF ANY POLICY ON GM CROPS EVEN AS ADVANCED COUNTRIES LIKE US AND OTHERS REPORTEDLY HAD SOME RESERVATIONS, BHURIA SAID IN THE RAJYA SABHA LAST WEEK.
THE AREA UNDER CULTIVATION OF BT COTTON ROSE BY 154 PER CENT TO 30.84 LAKH ACRES IN 2005 FROM 12.13 LAKH ACRES IN 2004, ACCORDING TO LATEST OFFICIAL UPDATES.
THE IMPRESSIVE INCREASE IN BT COTTON ACREAGE WAS FUELLED BY SUBSTANTIAL ACREAGE INCREASE IN MAJOR PRODUCING STATES OF MAHARASHTRA AND ANDHRA PRADESH.
MAHARASHTRA, WHICH HAS BEEN STRUGGLING TO CONTAIN FARMER SUICIDES IN THE VIDARBHA REGION, WITNESSED THE MAXIMUM GROWTH IN BT ACREAGE, WHICH WENT UP BY ALMOST 206 PER CENT TO 12.20 LAKH ACRES FROM 3.99 LAKH ACRES DURING THE REVIEW PERIOD.
HOWEVER, THE MINISTER RULED OUT ANY PROPOSAL TO CONDUCT A STUDY OF THE AREA UNDER CULTIVATION OF BT COTTON.
UN QUOTE
EARLIER VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI HAS REFUTED THE AGRICULTURE MINISTERY GOVT. OF INDIA CLEARIFICATION IT WAS SPURIOUS BT COTTON SEED CAUSED FARMERS PLIGHTS AS THIS MONSANTO, US BASE COMPANY WHO IS HOLDING INTER NATIONAL RIGHTS TO B.T. COTTON SEED HAS DROPPED DOWN RATE 450 GMS. PACKET FROM RS.1780/- TO RS.750/-, MOST OF THE OF THE FARMERS PURCHASED BT COTTON SEED FROM MONSANTO OFFICIAL SUB-AGENT INSTEAD OF ADMITTING THAT BT. COTTON FAILED IN VIDARBHA RESULTING MASS FARMERS SUICIDES FARMERS.KISHOR TIWARI OF VJAS INFORMED TODAY IN A PRESS RELEASE.
EARLIER PTI REPORTED THE AGRI, MINISTERY SAY LIKE WISE
QUOTE
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SPURIOUS BT COTTON SEEDS CAUSED FARMERS' PLIGHT
HTTP://WWW.HINDU.COM/THEHINDU/HOLNUS/015200611270312.HTM
NEW DELHI, NOV 27. (PTI): AN IN-DEPTH STUDY INTO THE CAUSES OF FARMERS' SUICIDE IN VIDARBHA, WHICH ACCOUNTED FOR A MAJOR SHARE OF 746 SUCH INCIDENTS IN MAHARASHTRA THIS YEAR, HAS REVEALED USE OF SPURIOUS BT COTTON SEEDS AS ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS FOR THE POOR PLIGHT OF PEASANTS IN THE REGION.
"WHILE WE HAVE MADE AVAILABLE ADEQUATE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO HELP COTTON GROWERS OF VIDARBHA AND OTHER REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY, SUCH A PROBLEM OF LOW STANDARD AND SPURIOUS BT COTTON SEEDS WOULD HAVE TO BE TACKLED IN A DIFFERENT WAY," A TOP AGRICULTURE MINISTRY OFFICIAL SAID.
ACCORDING TO INPUTS RECEIVED BY THE MINISTRY FROM NAGPUR-BASED CENTRAL INSTITUTE FOR COTTON RESEARCH, 20 PER CENT OF BT COTTON SEEDS SUPPLIED TO FARMERS IN VIDARBHA REGION THIS YEAR WERE NON-BT VARIETY.
FURTHER, 60 PER CENT OF THE CIRCULATED SEEDS WERE OF MIXED VARIETY WITH LITTLE POTENCY TO FIGHT THE DREADED BOLLGRAD PEST. IN FACT, ONLY 20 PER CENT OF THE BT COTTON SEEDS SUPPLIED IN THE REGION WERE GENUINE, THE INSTITUTE SAID.
THE AGRICULTURE MINISTRY HAS ASKED THE STATE GOVERNMENTS TO MAKE ADEQUATE AVAILABILITY OF KITS TO DETECT THE SPURIOUS BT COTTON SEEDS, THE OFFICIAL SAID.
OUT OF THE 823 INCIDENTS OF FARMERS SUICIDE REPORTED THIS YEAR, 746 HAS BEEN FROM MAHARASHTRA AND 52 FROM KERALA.
THE INPUTS OF THE INSTITUTE IS EXPECTED TO BE PROVIDED TO AN EXPERT GROUP CONSTITUTED TO LOOK INTO PROBLEMS OF AGRICULTURAL INDEBTEDNESS IN THE COUNTRY.
WHEN CONTACTED, DIRECTOR GENERAL OF ICAR, MANGALA RAI TOLD PTI THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD ALLOCATED RS 32 CRORE FOR A NEW PROGRAMME TO PROMOTE BT COTTON SEEDS IN THE COUNTRY.
HE REFUTED REPORTS THAT USE OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED CROPS WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT AGRICULTURE LAND AND HARM CONSUMERS.
"BT COTTON SEEDS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED TO PROTECT THE CROP FROM THE MUCH FEARED BOLLGARD WORM. THIS WOULD ENABLE SAVING OF FARMERS THROUGH LESSER USE OF PESTICIDES SPRAY AS THE BT SEED FIGHTS THE PEST INTERNALLY," HE SAID.
HE SAID, KITS TO DETECT SPURIOUS BT COTTON SEEDS COSTS AS LITTLE AS RS 25 PER STRIP AND IT CAN BE TESTED EVEN BY COMMON FARMER BY IMMERSING IT IN WATER ALONG WITH THE BT SEEDS.
ACCORDING TO COTTON ADVISORY BOARD, THE COUNTRY'S COTTON PRODUCTION IS ESTIMATED AT 24 MILLION BALES (170 KG PER BALE) DURING 2005-06. THE HIGHER COTTON PRODUCTION IS PARTLY ON ACCOUNT OF AN ESTIMATED 8.6 MILLION ACRES THAT HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER THE GENETICALLY MODIFIED BT COTTON CROP.
UN QUOTE
THIS GOVT. OF INDIA CLEARIFICATION IS FACE SAVING EXERCISE AFETR IT IS REPORTED THAT RECENT COTTON GROWERS SUICIDES DUE TO MASS FAILURE OF B.T. COTTON
AS PER TODAY ARTICLE OF SENIOR RURAL AFFAIRS EDITOR OF HINDU HRI P SAINATH AFTER TOURING VIDARBHA AND IN DEPTH DISCUSSION WITH CONCERN OFFICIALS LOOKING AFTER RELIEF PACKAGES AND IT IS REPORTED THAT B.T. COTTON HAS BEEN FAILED AND RECENT MOST OF THE COTTON GROWERS SUICIDES ARE DUE TO THE B.T. COTTON FAILURE ,KISHOR TIWARI ADDED
HERE IS THE DETAIL REPORT
QUOTE
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OPINION - NEWS ANALYSIS P. SAINATH
— PHOTO: P. SAINATH "BUMPER CROP? WHERE ARE YOU LIVING?" MOHAN MARATRAO PATIL WANTS TO KNOW. "MY FAMILY HAS 45 ACRES HERE IN YAVATMAL — AND ALL WE'VE MANAGED IS 80 QUINTALS OF COTTON SO FAR. AT BEST, WE'LL GET ANOTHER 80. WE'VE LOST LAKHS OF RUPEES." THAT HIS LANDS ARE IRRIGATED HAS NOT HELPED. "FIND ME THE FARMER WHO HAS HAD THAT GREAT HARVEST." MR. PATIL, A BT COTTON GROWER IN VANJIRI, SCOFFS AT THE NOTION OF A BUMPER CROP. THE IDEA WAS AIRED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF MAHARASHTRA ITSELF. THE STATE'S MINISTER OF MARKETING, HARSHVARDHAN PATIL, TOLD THE PRESS MORE THAN ONCE THAT HE EXPECTED A HUGE RISE IN COTTON PRODUCTION THIS YEAR. SOME REPORTS HAD HIM PREDICT A `BUMPER CROP' OF 350 LAKH QUINTALS. OTHERS HAD HIM PEG IT AT A MORE MODEST 300 QUINTALS. EITHER WAY, THIS WOULD MEAN A HUGE INCREASE OF 30-40 PER CENT OVER THE OFFICIAL ESTIMATE FOR LAST YEAR. ON THE GROUND, IN ANY OF THE SIX `CRISIS' DISTRICTS OF VIDHARBHA, THIS `BUMPER CROP' IS HARD TO SPOT. FARMERS REPORT HUGE LOSSES. OFFICIAL REPORTS TEND TO CONFIRM THEIR CLAIMS. "THE STATE WOULD BE LUCKY TO SEE A YIELD OF 160 LAKH QUINTALS THIS YEAR," SAYS VIJAY JAWANDIA IN WARDHA. A LEADING FARM ACTIVIST OF THIS REGION, MR. JAWANDIA BELIEVES "THE ONLY PURPOSE THIS KIND OF BUMPER CROP PROPAGANDA SERVES IS TO DEPRESS ALREADY LOW PRICES." "IT'S THE OLDEST STORY," SAYS MR. PATIL. "WHEN THE CROP IS IN THE FARMERS' HANDS, ALL SORTS OF THINGS ARE SAID AND DONE TO DEPRESS THE PRICE. ONCE IT IS WITH THE TRADERS, YOU WILL SEE THE PRICE IMPROVE." THE IMPLICATIONS ARE GRAVE FOR MOST OF THE REGION'S 1.7 MILLION FARM FAMILIES. CLOSE TO HALF A MILLION OF THEM — MORE THAN TWO MILLION PEOPLE — HAVE BEEN RECORDED BY A GOVERNMENT SURVEY AS FACING "MAXIMUM DISTRESS." THE MINISTER APPEARS TO HAVE BASED HIS CLAIM ON THE ESTIMATES OF THE COTTON ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THAT BODY FELT MAHARASHTRA WOULD SEE A YIELD OF 70 LAKH BALES THIS YEAR. (THAT IS ABOUT 350 LAKH QUINTALS.). THE AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT MAY NOT CONTEST THAT CLAIM IN PUBLIC. BUT TOP OFFICIALS SAY THE YIELD WON'T EXCEED 40 LAKH BALES (200 LAKH QUINTALS). THE GAP BETWEEN THE TWO CLAIMS IS A MASSIVE 150 LAKH QUINTALS. WHICH, MR. JAWANDIA POINTS OUT, "COULD BE THE FINAL PRODUCTION FIGURE IN TOTO." ALSO, AS A SENIOR OFFICIAL IN AMRAVATI TOLD THE HINDU : "ALMOST 3.5 LAKH HECTARES WERE SEVERELY HIT BY FLOODS AND EXCESSIVE RAINFALL IN THIS DIVISION. BOTH COTTON AND SOYBEAN HAVE BEEN HURT." THERE WERE OTHER PROBLEMS, TOO. "EVERYBODY WAS DOWN WITH CHIKUNGUNYA," SAY FARMERS ACROSS THE REGION. "IT WAS VERY TOUGH TO GET LABOUR WHEN WE NEEDED THEM MOST." WITH SOME FARMERS HAVING SWITCHED TO SOYBEAN THIS SEASON, IT GETS EVEN HARDER TO SEE WHERE THE `BUMPER CROP' CAN COME FROM. "ONE AIM, OF COURSE, IS TO DEPRESS PRICES," SAYS KISHORE TIWARI OF THE VIDHARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI (VJAS). "YOU WILL FIND MILL OWNERS ASSOCIATIONS AND THE LIKE ALWAYS PREDICTING A BUMPER CROP. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE MACHINERY OR MEANS TO MAKE SUCH ESTIMATES, BUT THEY WILL. IT PUSHES THE PRICE DOWN. YET, THIS BUMPER CROP CAMPAIGN HAS ANOTHER PURPOSE. IT AIMS TO BOOST THE IMAGE OF BT COTTON, WHICH HAS FARED BADLY. THE IDEA IS TO SAY, EVEN ON LESS ACREAGE, THERE'S MUCH MORE YIELD — THANKS TO BT." MANY SHARE HIS MISTRUST. THIS IS ONE STATE WHERE THE GOVERNMENT HAS GONE OUT OF ITS WAY TO PROMOTE BT COTTON. EVEN THOUGH SOME TOP OFFICERS HAVE EXPRESSED GRAVE DOUBTS OVER THIS PATH. THIS IS NOT NEW. LAST YEAR, THE STATE'S AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER GAVE THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA A REPORT THAT SAID "NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES WERE OBSERVED" BETWEEN BT AND NON-BT VARIETIES OF COTTON. EXCEPT, OF COURSE IN TERMS OF THE PRICE OF BT COTTON SEED — WHICH THE REPORT FOUND WAS NOT "A JUSTIFIABLE COST." SOME BASIC MYTHS WERE UNDERMINED. "ON AN AVERAGE 3 TO 5 SPRAYINGS WERE GIVEN TO BOTH BT AND NON-BT. THE ATTACK OF SUCKING PEST WAS REPORTED ON BOTH." IT ALSO SAID ITS FIELD OFFICERS FOUND BT COTTON'S PERFORMANCE "NOT SATISFACTORY." AND THAT IN SOME CASES, "NON-BT VARIETIES YIELD BETTER THAN BT VARIETIES." DESPITE THIS, MINISTERS, MLAS, AND FILM STARS WERE ROPED IN TO PROMOTE BT COTTON. THIS YEAR, THE LATEST OVERVIEW OF THE "FARMERS' SUICIDES IN MAHARASHTRA" FROM THE OFFICE OF THE DIVISIONAL COMMISSIONER, AMRAVATI, BEGINS MORE TACTFULLY. IT SAYS RESULTS FROM BT COTTON "HAVE BEEN MIXED." IT THEN GOES ON TO SPILL THE BEANS. "IN RAIN-FED CONDITIONS, BT COTTON HAS NOT PAID GOOD RETURNS." WHICH IMPLIES A DISASTER, SINCE NEARLY 97 PER CENT OF COTTON GROWN IN THE STATE IS UNIRRIGATED. "THOUGH THE USE OF BT COTTON IN MAHARASHTRA IS INCREASING," SAYS THE OVERVIEW, "THE YIELDS HAVE BEEN UNSTABLE. WHEN FARMERS INVEST HEAVILY IN PURCHASING SEEDS AND OTHER INPUTS, THE NET RETURN HAS OFTEN BEEN NEGATIVE." MR. PATIL AND HIS NEIGHBOUR AGREE. "WHAT DO I DO?" ASKS LAXMIBAI BODEWAR. "FIRST, WE'VE TAKEN A BLOW, GETTING MUCH LESS THAN OUR 35 ACRES SHOULD HAVE GIVEN US. NOW WE ARE UNABLE TO SELL WHAT WE HAVE. THE PRICE HAS COLLAPSED. AND THERE IS NO PROCUREMENT." SHE TALKS TO US SITTING ON A GIANT BED OF COTTON. PART OF THE 100 QUINTALS SHE'S STUCK WITH AT HOME. MS. BODEWAR, TOO, IS A BT COTTON GROWER. FOR A STATE SITTING ON A `BUMPER CROP,' THE ACTION HAS BEEN SLOW. NEVER MIND A YIELD OF 350 LAKH QUINTALS OF COTTON. OFFICIAL PROCUREMENT HAS NOT EVEN TOUCHED ONE LAKH QUINTALS AS YET. "THE DELAY IS DELIBERATE," SAYS MR. TIWARI OF THE VJAS. "THIS IS FORCING FARMERS TO SELL WHAT LITTLE THEY HAVE TO PRIVATE TRADERS. TO DEFLECT CRITICISM, THEY WILL STEP UP PROCUREMENT JUST BEFORE THE START OF THE ASSEMBLY SESSION ON DECEMBER 4. BY THAT TIME, MANY WILL HAVE SOLD IN DISTRESS. THEN THEY WILL SAY — FARMERS ARE GETTING A MUCH BETTER PRICE ON THE OPEN MARKET. SO LET US WIND THIS UP ALTOGETHER. THAT IS THE GAME." © COPYRIGHT 2000 - 2006 THE HINDU
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AS LAST YEAR ALSO B.T. COTTON FAILED AND GOVT. OF MAHARASHTRA PAID RS.190 CRORE AS B.T. COTTON CROP FAILURE COMPENSATION AND THIS YEAR ALSO MAHARASHTRA GOVT. IS SET TO GIVE SAME COMPENSATION FOR B.T. COTTON CROP FAILURE AS REPORTED BY MAHARASHTRA DY.CHIEF MINISTER SHRI R.R.PATIL RECENTELY. THE COMPLETE BAN ON B.T. COTTON SEED IN INDIA IS THE MAIN DEMAND OF ALL FARMERS IN VIDARBHA REGION, KISHOR TIWARI ADDED.
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PLEASE ARRANGE TO RELEASE THIS PRESS NOTE
THANKING YOU,
YOURS TRULY,
KISHOR TIWARI
PRESIDENT
VIDARBHA JANADOLAN SAMITI
CONTACT-MOBILE-09422108846
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