| AHMEDABAD,
India, November 5, 2003 -- CropChoice news -- The Times
of India, 11/05/03: A team of agricultural
scientists and government officials will soon visit
the state to study the failure of the biotech cotton
crop and especially in its 'fighting of pests'.
The secretary to the department of biotechnology, under
the ministry of science and technology, said on Monday
that the Centre would take further steps based on the
report of this team.
The decision comes close on heels of the Sabarkantha
MP Madhusudan Mistry's recent letter to the Centre,
depicting the failure of cotton Bollguard-162's in his
constituency.
In his letter, Mistry had pointed to the despair of
Sabarkantha farmers after their BT cotton variety Bollguard-162,
sold by Mahyco Monsanto Biotech India Ltd., failed miserably.
Mistry on Monday said the Mahyco-Monsanto had sold
1,04,031 packets of 400 grams seeds in Gujarat. Out
of these 7,640 packets were sold in Sabarkantha, 15,921
packets in Rajkot, 28,348 packets in Bhavnagar and 11,564
packets in Amreli districts.
In order to make an effective and strong representation
on this issue, a meeting of farmers growing BT cotton
has been organized at Himmatnagar on November 15, he
added.
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