The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

As the country's agriculture is moving towards a new phase of expansion and development, the debate on the use of hybrid seeds is only becoming critical.

There is a major opposition to it from various environmentalist and activist groups as they say if it happens the control over agriculture would pass to multinational companies marketing seeds in the first place as a result of it.

Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, president of Equity and Justice Working Group, a conglomerate of several activist groups, promoting people's livelihood in the coastal areas warned of negative impact of hybrid seeds on the country's agriculture.

He said farmers would not only lose control over ownership of seeds but also would become hostage to their agents to pay exorbitant seed prices in the peak season. "In no way farmers should give up their generations-old rights on seeds, they should have rights on both the crop and seeds together to save farming from external intervention," he said. Moreover, genetically modified (GM) rice may not be appropriate for healthy growth of human body in the long run, he said pointing to the growing number of obese people in the United States and other developed countries.

These are the extreme manifestations of health hazard from excessive taking of GM foods, Chowdhury said, adding any distortion with the nature may backfire. Moreover, the adaptation of hybrid seeds require local breeding and testing to adjust with local soil, water and weather conditions. Most marketing companies, he said, working to promote hybrid rice in the country are not doing it resorting to its imports.

As a result, farmers complain of 'chita' and other weakness of the crop, mainly resulting from maladjustment with soil and weather. "We must therefore avoid it," he said, adding Bangladesh should also preserve the age-old seeds without failing.

"We may increase food productivity from high yielding varieties," Chowdhury said.

However, noted agricultural scientists Dr Mahbub Hossain speaks for increasing cultivation of hybrid crops. He is of the view that only the hybrid rice can help multiply the harvest to overcome the food deficiency.

In India, he said, small farmers are taking more interest in hybrid rice cultivation as it yields twice as much the harvest. For Bangladesh where population is steadily increasing, hybrid crop may be a good option, he argued.

Sources said Bangladesh this year produced hybrid Boro on seven lakh hectares and reports from many areas speak of infection of 'chita' in the crop.

Dr Mahbub does not agree with the suggestion that farmers may become hostage to multinationals. He said hybrid seeds may even be produced at the village level under special arrangements of the Department of Agriculture.