According to Christophe Clergeau, vice-chair of the S&D Group in the European Parliament and its shadow rapporteur on the new GMO deregulation file, "The Council and the Commission are set to work hand in hand to impose the commercialisation of new GMOs (NGT) without precaution or protection of the interests of consumers or farmers. The Parliament must stand united to defend its positions and rely on the mobilisation of the agricultural world and civil society. It is time for a general mobilisation before the start of the trilogues" between the Council of the EU, the Parliament, and the Commission. He added, "The Council's position is similar in many respects to the Commission's initial text: it puts consumers at risk in the absence of a comprehensive supply chain traceability system and clear information on the final product derived from the new GMOs. A simple label on a bag of seeds, without information for the end consumer, would be unacceptable." GMWatch

 

 

Cultivation of maize has raised significant concerns among farmers regarding the use of GM seeds. Even as trials were allegedly camouflaged in remote areas as seed production, the issue came to light when a seed organiser abandoned the crop after it failed to meet the expected yields in Mulugu district. Responding to their concerns, farmers wrote a letter to the Agriculture Commission, which has now taken up the matter. The Commission has instructed Mulugu district agriculture officials to immediately submit detailed information on affected farmers, including specifics about the seeds they used, pesticides, and the supplying companies. Local farmers were told that the seeds would produce up to 4 tonnes per acre, but the yields were far lower, raising questions about the accuracy of these claims. Deccan Chronicle

 

 

Tennessee farmer Tandy King says an EPA registered chemical, dicamba, has had a devastating effect on his farm, with drift badly damaging his crops year after year. But if pesticide makers get legal immunity, farmers like him cannot sue for the harm suffered. msn

 

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