Andhra Pradesh is the first state in the country to officially oppose the commercial cultivation of Bt Brinjal. The CM Rosaiah conveyed the state's stand to Union Environment & Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh unless tested by national government institutions, the crop will not be released.
The state government's official stand on the genetically-modified crop is based on a report submitted by the VCs of Acharya N G Ranga Agriculture University (ANGRAU) and AP Horticulture University.
AP's agriculture minister Raghuveera Reddy said that the government is not against technological improvements in agriculture, but wanted to ensure that technology benefits farmers. Though Bt cotton was supported earlier, Bt Brinjal is not ready for commercial cultivation, he said.
Bt Brinjal is a variety of brinjal developed by inserting a gene from a soil bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis into its DNA to produce pesticidal toxins in every cell of the plant. The variety was designed to give the plant resistance against significant pests – the Brinjal Fruit and Shoot Borer, and the Fruit Borer. Environmental activists, however, are questioning the effects of the plant on the human body and on the environment. Bt Brinjal has not been completely tested for health or environmental safety.