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As t-gene fear spreads, AP asks Monsanto to stop bollgard trials

The Andhra Pradesh government has directed the multinational Mahyco-Monsanto seed company to immediately stop trials of its cotton seed bollgard in seven districts of the state to allay the fears among farmers that the seed had "terminator gene".

Disclosing this in Hyderabad today, state agriculture minister K Vidyadhara Rao said if the company intended to conduct future trials, it could do so only in research stations of agricultural universities under the supervision of university scientists.

He said he did not know whether the company had sought permission from the district collectors for trials. The company had received a letter from the department of bio-technology, addressed to the Maharashtra government on the trials and its copy was sent to the state chief secretary.

On the compensation to the farmers in whose fields the trials were conducted, Rao said the company and farmers should work it out.

UNI

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Andhra Pradesh