A parliamentary committee has
put an important report on seed sovereignty in the backburner, further
delaying process to draft legislation to protect seed sovereignty and
discourage import and use of hybrid products.
The report was sought by Committee on Natural Resources and Means (CNRM) from the Agriculture Ministry following uproar over attempts to import Monsanto hybrid maize seeds through a program of United State Agency for International Development (USAID) for distribution to farmers last September.
CNRM chairperson Shanta Chaudhari said her committee had not discussed the report due to time constraint. "We are aware of the situation but many other important tasks remain to be completed," Chaudhari said. "We are hoping to call another meeting in this regard within few weeks."
Agriculture Ministry, which was allegedly involved in agreement with Monsanto and USAID to import hybrid seed, was summoned by the committee in January to clarify its position on seed sovereignty of the country.
Officials at the ministry said the report had recommended measures to save the seed sovereignty by discouraging import of hybrid seed from other countries. “We are waiting for another meeting of CNRM and further direction on the issue from them,” Dr Hari Dahal, joint secretary and spokesperson of the ministry said.
“The government won´t give subsidy to farmers while buying hybrid seed that are not domestic,” reads the report prepared by the ministry. “The government will also not compensate for the losses that may occur due to unregulated import of hybrid seed ”
Nepal imports more than 200 types of hybrid seeds from 30 international companies through 13 domestic importers.
The report also draws a clear line regarding hybrid, genetically modified organism (GMO) and seed sovereignty.
The paper strongly says GMO should be banned in the country and only domestic hybrid seed should be promoted, a sharp contrast to the Agricultural Policy - 2004 which says the GMO should be regulated and hybrid is promoted.
The report was sought by Committee on Natural Resources and Means (CNRM) from the Agriculture Ministry following uproar over attempts to import Monsanto hybrid maize seeds through a program of United State Agency for International Development (USAID) for distribution to farmers last September.
CNRM chairperson Shanta Chaudhari said her committee had not discussed the report due to time constraint. "We are aware of the situation but many other important tasks remain to be completed," Chaudhari said. "We are hoping to call another meeting in this regard within few weeks."
Agriculture Ministry, which was allegedly involved in agreement with Monsanto and USAID to import hybrid seed, was summoned by the committee in January to clarify its position on seed sovereignty of the country.
Officials at the ministry said the report had recommended measures to save the seed sovereignty by discouraging import of hybrid seed from other countries. “We are waiting for another meeting of CNRM and further direction on the issue from them,” Dr Hari Dahal, joint secretary and spokesperson of the ministry said.
“The government won´t give subsidy to farmers while buying hybrid seed that are not domestic,” reads the report prepared by the ministry. “The government will also not compensate for the losses that may occur due to unregulated import of hybrid seed ”
Nepal imports more than 200 types of hybrid seeds from 30 international companies through 13 domestic importers.
The report also draws a clear line regarding hybrid, genetically modified organism (GMO) and seed sovereignty.
The paper strongly says GMO should be banned in the country and only domestic hybrid seed should be promoted, a sharp contrast to the Agricultural Policy - 2004 which says the GMO should be regulated and hybrid is promoted.
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