Introduction of Bt cotton technology: Senate body questions failure to finalise agreement with Monsento

The Senate Standing Committee on Food and agriculture has questioned the ministry of food and agriculture why it failed to finalise agreement with Monsento, or any other company, for Bt cotton technology introduction in the country, and directed it to report to the committee after two weeks.
The committee was told that former minister for food and agriculture Nazar Mohammad Gondal on the floor of National Assembly had claimed that Pakistan would adopt Bt cotton seed by May 2009, but after two years' delay still there was nothing on ground.
The committee was informed that India had adopted the Bt technology and it reached 33 million bales in 2010-11 from 17.9 million bales in 2003 showing 84 percent jump in the production. The committee said that it looked that some one was behind the non-introduction of new technology in Pakistan and the poor farmers have to suffer heavily.
Senator Javed Ali Shah presided over the Standing Committee on Food and Agriculture in parliament house and Sughra Imam, Salahuddin Dogar, Sajid Hussain Zaidi and Mohabat Khan Mari attended the meeting.
The committee was informed that the textile industry made tremendous improvement and currently requires 15 million bales of cotton, while currently the production was about 13 million bales. It is expected that cotton demand might reach 20 million bales by 2015-16 and the government has planned to achieve the target of 20 million bales for 2010-15. The proposed task is possible by continuous endeavours in research for evolution of high yielding transgenic Bt, non-Bt varieties as well as hybrids having resistance to biotic and a-biotic stresses.
The potential area for expansion of cotton lies in Balochistan and KP. A modest increase of 25000 acres per year would produce significant impact in increasing the production. Further exploitation of area in non-core areas of cotton (Sahiwal, Jhang, Chiniot, Toba Tek Singh, Faisalabad, Pakpatten, Okara) and Potohar in Punjab would contribute towards increasing cotton productivity.
Sughra said that the federal ministry for food and agriculture should provide timeframe in which it would introduced Bt cotton approved varieties in the country. During the last 10 years, what new cotton varieties were produced in the country and what is their performance, she questioned. If the answer is "no" then the government should finalise the agreement with other advanced companies including Monsento or some one else. But there was an urgent need to increase cotton production by 20 million bales at least. If achieved, there was no need for Pakistan to get aid/loan from other countries, she said.
Agriculture Development Commissioner Inayatullah Khan informed the committee that Minfa had already signed a memorandum of understanding with Monsento in 2010 and also prepared an action plan approved by the ECC. Now Monsento was in negotiation with provinces, and took start from Punjab.
Another official of the ministry told the committee that the federal government could not stop Monsento, rather the company might seek protection of its technology. Pakistan's intellectual property rights (IPR) have not yet been approved by the parliament. The main issue with the government was how to stop theft of Monsento technology.
Secretary Agriculture Punjab informed the committee that the province started negotiation with Monesento in 2010 and discussed 'Bollguard-II Roundup Ready Fex', an advanced technology having disease-resistant variety. Punjab has formed an experts committee, having 19 members, to deal with Monsento and after thorough discussions/meeting, the committee was in a position to present the report to Punjab chief minister for approval. He said the current unapproved variety of Bt cotton was harmful to cotton production and its early sowing very dangerous for the cotton growing areas. Such early sowing would multiply viruses in the fields. He said the four months' gap between cotton crop was essential while in meantime wheat is standing in the fields.