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NEW DELHI, Nov. 7

THE Centre has deferred a decision on allowing commercial cultivation of Proagro Seed Company Ltd's controversial genetically modified (GM) mustard hybrids.

``We will meet again in 3-4 weeks time to take a final view on the matter'', the Chairman of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) under the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Mr A.M Gokhale, told Business Line.

He said the move to defer a decision was taken in view of the `multiple interpretation' of data pertaining to the bio-safety and agronomic aspects of the GM mustard hybrids. ``Since there were differences in perceptions with regard to the data emanating from the trials (conducted both by Proagro as well as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research), we decided to take a second look to get a clear picture'', Mr Gokhale added.

Today's meeting convened by the GEAC Chairman was also attended by senior officials from the Ministries of Agriculture and Health (including ICAR and Indian Council of Medical Research). However, there was no representation from the Commercial and External Affairs Ministries, who are also part of the GEAC — the final authority that clears commercial release of GM crops.

Mr Gokhale said that a `hard look' was required in the case of GM mustard, which, unlike cotton, was a food and not a fibre crop. ``We would like to extra careful because mustard's use in the country is not limited to just seed (from extracting vegetable oil), but even extends to consumption of its leaf for making sarson-ka-saag and other traditional preparations'', he noted.

Mr Gokhale admitted that the decision to defer clearance to the GM hybrids would mean that farmers would not be in a position to plant them in the current rabi season. ''That anyway is ruled out because we are already in the peak sowing season'', he pointed out.

Proagro has sought GEAC clearance for three mustard hybrids — MT 95002, MT 95003 and MT 95005 — which, it claims, confer a 20 per cent yield advantage (around 300 kg per hectare) over the currently best performing `check' varieties, including `Varuna' and `Kranti' developed by ICAR. The company had, earlier in August 2001, been accorded permission by the GEAC to conduct large-scale trials of its GM hybrids.

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