Harmful effects of genetically modified seeds pointed out
Tuesday, 2 October 2007
Our Correspondent
RAJSHAHI, Oct 01: Speakers at a seminar warned about the harmful effects of GM (genetically modified) seeds. They said the use of GM seeds would bring a catastrophe in the entire agriculture arena of the country, sources said.
The seminar was organised by Barendra Unnayan Prochesta (BUP) with assistance from IFSN, AAB and JJS at the former's auditorium recently.
Presided over by Hafiz Uddin Pintu, the seminar was addressed, among others, by Sharif Sumon, Ziaul Haque and Rashed Ripon.
The seminar voiced its concern that developed countries are using the poor countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and other countries as experimental 'guinea pig' to conduct their harmful research.
The speakers further mentioned that the seeds are genetically modified to produce more harvest and consist of various proteins and vitamins which are rare in the normal crops. They informed the seminar that the GM rice is made by modifying the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of the seeds of various plants and even animals such as pigs and fishes.
The GM paddy seed is made by using 'terminator' technology. After harvesting the paddy once, it cannot be used for regeneration of seedlings. So, using the seeds would create a great disaster especially for a country like ours. There is also the risk that after using GM seeds on the same land for two or three consecutive periods, the soil would become polluted and infertile and turn sticky like rubber.
Speakers said some companies like Bayar, Du Pont, Syngenta and Monsato are importing and selling the seeds to the farmers at an exorbitant price. These companies are also offering 'a package including seed, insecticide and fertiliser of the same company to the farmers and advising them not to use insecticides and fertiliser of any other companies to reap the maximum benefits.
The speakers at the seminar said that farmers of the country should be made well aware of the bad effects of GM seeds to save the country's agriculture from a calamity.
RAJSHAHI, Oct 01: Speakers at a seminar warned about the harmful effects of GM (genetically modified) seeds. They said the use of GM seeds would bring a catastrophe in the entire agriculture arena of the country, sources said.
The seminar was organised by Barendra Unnayan Prochesta (BUP) with assistance from IFSN, AAB and JJS at the former's auditorium recently.
Presided over by Hafiz Uddin Pintu, the seminar was addressed, among others, by Sharif Sumon, Ziaul Haque and Rashed Ripon.
The seminar voiced its concern that developed countries are using the poor countries like Bangladesh, Nepal and other countries as experimental 'guinea pig' to conduct their harmful research.
The speakers further mentioned that the seeds are genetically modified to produce more harvest and consist of various proteins and vitamins which are rare in the normal crops. They informed the seminar that the GM rice is made by modifying the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) of the seeds of various plants and even animals such as pigs and fishes.
The GM paddy seed is made by using 'terminator' technology. After harvesting the paddy once, it cannot be used for regeneration of seedlings. So, using the seeds would create a great disaster especially for a country like ours. There is also the risk that after using GM seeds on the same land for two or three consecutive periods, the soil would become polluted and infertile and turn sticky like rubber.
Speakers said some companies like Bayar, Du Pont, Syngenta and Monsato are importing and selling the seeds to the farmers at an exorbitant price. These companies are also offering 'a package including seed, insecticide and fertiliser of the same company to the farmers and advising them not to use insecticides and fertiliser of any other companies to reap the maximum benefits.
The speakers at the seminar said that farmers of the country should be made well aware of the bad effects of GM seeds to save the country's agriculture from a calamity.