Pawar stresses on biotech

Biotechnology could trigger the next green revolution as is visible in the cotton industry, according to Union minister of agriculture Sharad Pawar.

Speaking at the inauguration of the second national-level conference of the Federation of Jain Educational Institutes, Pawar said that the yield of cotton had gone up by 20 per cent after the introduction of genetically modified varieties.

Pawar said while cultivation of genetically modified Bt cotton is witnessed in Gujarat and Maharashtra where it is legally sold, it is illegally cultivated in Punjab and Haryana. This is being done by farmers to better their yield.

"Farmers can save upto Rs 1,600 crore in pesticides by using genetically modified seeds and get higher yield for their crops. Biotechnology has shown that quality is possible even without chemicals."