Import Of GMO Seed Banned Due To Its Health And Environment: NA Body Told

The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research here on Thursday was informed that due to health and environment issues, the import of genetically modified seed of maize was banned, however the government would provide possible facilities to companies for the technologies transfer for BT cotton

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Oct, 2019 ) :The National Assembly Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research here on Thursday was informed that due to health and environment issues, the import of genetically modified seed of maize was banned, however the government would provide possible facilities to companies for the technologies transfer for BT cotton.

The Committee which met with Rao Muhammad Almal Khan in the Chair, discussed the introduction of GMO seeds for food crops in the country.

Briefing the Committee, Secretary Ministry of National Food Security and Research Dr Muhammad Hashim Popalzi informed the meeting that Pakistan was non-GMO country in terms of food grains productions and the countries which were importing the maize from Pakistan were also non-GMO countries. He said that if the import of GMO seeds of corns would allowed in the country, local exports wold came down, besides local buyers would also avoid to purchase the corn produced through GMO seeds.

He informed the Committee that hybrid maize was cultivated over large areas to produce maize, adding that it was performing well as the farmers were getting maximum per acre yield. He said that bumper maize crop produced from last many consecutive years.

He informed that Bio-Safety Committee has approved the import of GM seeds for testing and trail but it had imposed ban on the import of GM seeds of maize in 2018 in order to make further deliberations on its health and environmental impacts and the effects of cross pollination in other verities.

He further told the Committee that other three Ministries including Health, Climate Change, Commerce had also suggested to impose ban on the import of GMO seeds of maize in order to avoid any threat for local crops and making further studies on the safety of these verities.

The Chairman of the Committee, asked for convening the secretaries of other ministries for their input on the subjects and cleared that the national interest and its farmers would be preferred and their rights must be protected at every cost.

He said that all the legislation would be aiming at to safe guard the national interest besides, protecting the agriculture sector and the interest of local farmers for the brighter future of coming generations.

He also asked for inviting Seed Association of Pakistan for their inputs and appreciated the role of multi-national companies in per acre crop production.

The representative of the GMO seed providing company apprised the meeting that its cultivation as safe as the cultivation of conventional seeds, adding that it was cost effective and reduce the pesticides costs.

Meanwhile, the officials of the Ministry of National Food Security and Research told the meeting that sufficient wheat stocks were available in the country for domestic consumption.

The senior officials of the Ministry, President ZTBL, Managing Director PASSCO and Chairman Pakistan Agriculture Research Council attended the meeting