After Bihar, new technique to increase yield of GM mustard in Punjab

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

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Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 28

In the lines of Bihar, that has reported high yield of mustard by using system of mustard intensification (SMI) technique, Punjab’s NGO, Natural Farmers Association, is all set to introduce it in the fields. The NGO will be organising trials using the same technique in fields of Punjab.

This technique is also being seen as an answer to the claims made in favour of the GM mustard that it will increase the yield, the NGO members have said.

Notably, the move of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) to give proposal to the GM mustard had garnered a lot of criticism from farmers, NGOs and experts.

Ashok Kumar, the patron of the association, said the technique involved the planting of saplings at a wide distance from each other.

Farmers in Bihar said with the use of this technique, the yield of gobhi-sarson variety of mustard got increased. Now, they get 20 quintals per acre whereas in Punjab, there is an yield of 8-9 quintals per acre.

“So it is almost double the yield in Punjab,” Kumar said.

Kumar claimed that they conducted the trials last year too. “The farmers had then said it was being done for the first time, so there was no proper know-how of the technique. But the farmers feel that if done properly, the results could be manifolds.”

Protest against GM crops

Last year, while the whole country was protesting against the possible introduction of genetically-modified mustard, activists of various NGOs from Jalandhar too, along with the Kheti Virasat Mission, told people about ‘ill-effects’ of GM crops and also made them sign postal cards that were sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The postcard read, “Respected Modiji, I am a citizen and a responsible parent and have to ensure that I provide safe and healthy food to our children. Our beloved PM, I request that you to lead India into an organic food and farming country. I also request that all GM crops, including GM mustard, be banned. We also have to stop the use of pesticides.”