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No plans to produce GM tobacco: CTRI Chief

Ch.R.S Sarma

RAJAHMUNDRY, July 10

INDIA is not producing any genetically-modified tobacco

and there are no plans to introduce any such varieities in the country,

Dr K. Deo Singh, Director, Central Tobacco Research Institute, has said.

In an interview here on Tuesday, Dr Singh said of late, some of the tobacco consignments from China had been rejected on the suspicion that genetically-modified (GM) tobacco was being produced in that country and ``China is resorting to the propaganda t hat India, another major exporter, is also producing such tobacco. There is no truth in it.''

He said there were apprehensions that GM-tobacco

might cause health problems and India would not look in that direction

unless it was proved conclusively that such tobacco was absolutely safe.

Dr Singh said CTRI would be selling tobacco seed from July 16 in its five seed production centres and it would also supply seed to the Tobacco Board for supply to farmers through auction floors. The seed would be sold at Rs 200 per kg. He said the farme rs were enthusiastic in Andhra Pradesh after the crop holiday last season to grow tobacco and the international scenario was also encouraging. He expected good demand for the seed.

He said four improved varieties had been introduced in the West Godavari district a few years ago in the northern light soils (NLS) and of the four, the K326 variety had clicked. ``Almost 90 per cent of the NLS area in the West Godavari district is under the variety. It has got accpetance in EEC

countries and it is grown widely in the West too.'' The per-hectare

yield of K326 amounted to 2,000 kg or so on the aggregate. ``In fact,

the potential of the many improved tobacco varieties being cultivated in the country is 2,500 kg or so. The yields in India compare favourably with the best in the advanced countries. The international average was in the range of 2,000-2,500 kg per hect are.'' On the whole, the average yield of Virginia tobacco in the country was in the range of 1600-1800 kg per hectare.

Dr Singh said the Tobacco Board was trying to reduce the cultivation in black soils and encourage production in the light soils of AP and Karnataka. He said tobacco should be alternated with pulses and leguminous crops to get the right sort of leaf chemi stry for exports.

CTRI was also supplying white burley seed but there was not much demand, he said. As the burley production in Andhra Pradesh had declined of late from a level of 10-15 mkg to 6 mkg due to local factors. He added that the total world burley production am ounted to 350 mkg and India's share in the burley segment was negligible.