February 2008

Feb 26,Business Standard

GM crops key to food self sufficiency According to Clive James, chairman of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications, through the use of biotechnology India can become self-sufficient in food production. India is currently facing a shortage of edible oil, wheat and ice. It imports more than 40% of its edible oil requirement. India imported 5.5 million tonnes of wheat in 2006 and 1.8 million tonnes in 2007. It barred export of non-basmati rice to meet local demand in 2007-08. James further added that the success India has achieved through use of Bt cotton can be replicated for other crops also. It became the second largest producer of cotton through the use of GM crops. India is currently testing GM rice and GM brinjal with commercialisation likely to happen in 2011 and 2009 respectively.