LAW TO PROTECT PLANT BREEDERS

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Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, December 7th, 2015

ASHFAK BOKHARI

WITH the introduction of the Plant Breeders’ Rights Bill 2015 in the National Assembly on November 27 by the Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada, the country is close to meeting its obligations in the seed sector as required by the WTO’s Trips regime.

The Seed Amendment Bill 2014, another related legislation, has already been passed by the lower house and is awaiting a formal nod from the upper house to become a law. The two bills were originally moved in 2010 but were then put on the backburner.

After remaining frozen for four years, one bill, relating to seed business, was revived last year following the formation of the Intellectual Property Organisation (IPO-Pak) as a regulator of intellectual property rights (IPRs). The seed bill, an amended form of 1976 law, was re-launched as 2014 bill.

The plant breeders rights bill, which the NA Speaker immediately referred to the standing committee concerned, has been revived this year and re-launched as a 2015 bill. Pirzada had moved the bill in the house on behalf of the minister of state for parliamentary affairs.

The bill aims at establishing a viable seed industry for food security and ensuring the availability of high quality seeds and planting material to farmers.

How long it will take to become a law is anybody’s guess. Pakistan, being a member of the WTO, is required to provide protection to plant varieties under sui generis system under Article 27-3 (b) of the Trips law. The sui generis (unique) system for plant varieties must comply with the basic principles of national (equal) treatment.

The government has already adopted and enforced major IP laws such as patents, trademarks, copyrights and industrial designs. According to the stated objectives of the proposed law, the government will encourage plant breeders and seed organisations in both public and private sectors to invest in research and plant breeding; help breeders develop superior varieties of crops; provide access to protected foreign varieties and new technologies and effectively control the menace of counterfeit seeds.

Once the bill is passed, a registry of plant breeders’ rights will be established under the administrative control of IPO-Pak. The new law will effectively protect IPRs of the breeders which are described as a limited form of proprietary rights, which permit their holders to exclude others from producing and selling seeds of their plant varieties without legal authorisation.

The holder will charge royalty on the sale of seeds of his variety and will have the right to initiate civil proceedings against the persons found infringing his rights. Such protection may encourage foreign firms to invest in plant breeding in Pakistan.

Agriculture, including seed business, became a provincial subject after the passage of the 18th Amendment in the constitution in 2010. But, according to federal minister for food security Sikandar Hayat Bosan, all the provincial assemblies had passed a special resolution authorising the federal government to amend the Seed Act of 1976 and retain it as a federal subject.

During the long journey the two bills traversed, the basic reforms suggested in their drafts had been the focus of intense debate in the NA standing committee discussions, among civil society groups, farmers bodies and other stakeholders.

That the draft of new seed law tends to invite foreign private sector to effectively take part in the country’s seed development is evident from Bosan’s statement attached with the text of the law. The 1976 law, he says, had failed to fulfill the requirements of a ‘modern seed industry’ for the capacity of the public sector has, over the years, greatly declined.

Today, he says, “it is the private sector which is playing a stronger and more vibrant role across the world. The new innovations in hybrid technology and genetically modified crops have transformed the seed industry.” The new law will also allow the private sector “to produce basic seed for its multiplication and certification” and establish seed testing laboratories.

The bill permits registration of GM crops provided no terminator technology is involved in the development of seed variety.

What has offended the farmers’ community in particular is preventing them from carrying on age-old practice of re-using the saved seeds for next crop. They will have to buy seeds for each crop from the companies at a higher cost. This is unaffordable for small farmers, at least, and soon they may have to quit the farming.

The foreign office’s opposition to GM seeds is a significant matter as conveyed by Environmental Protection Agency’s chief during the proceedings of a public interest petition in Lahore High Court. While appearing on behalf of the federation on May 14, 2014, he said: “the Foreign Office has also conveyed its concern to the Climate Change Division that the subject of GM seeds is a matter of grave concern for national security and trade. It can be used as a biological weapon of mass destruction to destroy Pakistan’s major crops such as potato, wheat, rice, corn, cotton and vegetables through modified viruses, bacteria and other parasites.”

http://www.dawn.com/news/1224587/law-to-protect-plant-breeders

RS 40BN NEW TAXES IN ‘MINI-BUDGET’

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KHALEEQ KIANI

ISLAMABAD: The government introduced on Mon­day a ‘mini-budget’ envisaging additional tax measures of over Rs40 billion by imposing 5-10 per cent regulatory duty on import of 61 items, increasing duty by 5pc on another 289 items and levying 1pc additional customs duty on thousands of other items.

The decision was announ­ced by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar at a news conference after presiding over a meeting of the Economic Coordination Committee of the cabinet to comply with a pre-condition of the Interna­tional Monetary Fund on the last day of its deadline.

“Additional revenue measures have been taken to make up for a shortfall of Rs39.8bn in the revenue target for the first quarter of the current financial year,” he said. The committee also imposed 30pc regulatory duty on import of maize and kept unchanged the support price for wheat at Rs1,300 per 40kg.

Also read: Rs40bn additional tax measures soon to meet fiscal deficit: IMF

He said the ECC extended the applicability of 0.3pc withholding tax (ins­tead of 0.6pc imposed in the current year’s budget) on banking transactions and filing of income tax returns to Dec 31.

The meeting did not take up a proposed $16bn contract for import of liquefied natural gas from Qatar.

Mr Dar said additional measures would generate Rs4.5bn through imposition of 5-10pc regulatory duty on 61 items which had no such duty. He said the Federal Board of Revenue had identified around 1,400 non-essential imported luxury items that had eaten away almost half of around $3bn savings in the shape of lower oil import bill, but being a member of the World Trade Organisation it was not possible for Pakistan to ban them.

Mr Dar said another Rs4.5bn would be generated by increasing by 5pc the duty on import of 289 items. The government would also get Rs21bn through 1pc additional duty on all items in the 5th schedule of the Customs Act currently being charged at up to 20pc customs duty.

Nine categories having impact on common man would remain exempt from 1pc additional duty. The list includes all non-dutiable imports, agriculture machinery, essential raw materials and inputs for textile, agriculture, pharmaceutical and aviation sectors, socially sensitive items like vegetables and priority industrial items of coalmining and renewable energy given protection under the 5th schedule, excluding the poultry sector.

Other exempted areas from 1pc fresh import duty include import of fertilisers, seeds and spores for sowing, plant and machinery for manufacturing of goods, the telecom sector and raw materials of 25 sectors like artificial leather industry, pesticides, sugar mills, fan and flat rolling steel industry, electric motors, etc.

Another Rs6.5bn would come out of increased Federal Excise Duty (FED) on locally produced cigarettes and Rs2.5bn through 10pc increase in duty on import of second-hand vehicles above 1,000cc capacity.

The minister said the FED on locally produced cigarettes valued at Rs3,600 per 1,000 cigarettes would attract Rs3,150, instead of Rs3,030 while lower valued cigarettes would be charged Rs1,420 per 1,000 cigarettes duty, instead of Rs1,320.

He said the import duty on 800cc and 1000cc used vehicles would remain unchanged at $4,800 and $6,000 per car. The duty on 1000-1300cc vehicles was increased by 10pc to $13,200. The duty on all bigger capacity vehicles was increased by 10pc to $18,500 on 1300-1500cc, to $22,500 on 1501-1600cc and $27,900 on 1601-1800cc. The luxury vehicles would also attract 10pc additional duty.

The duty on locally assembled vehicles had not been changed.

In reply to a question, Mr Dar said the government would fight out a high court’s stay order on collection of super tax to preserve its right to impose tax and file a reference before the apex court to restrict such prohibitive orders which hamper smooth functioning of the revenue team.

List of items

Some of the 61 items that have attracted fresh duties of 5-10pc are: live poultry, frozen fish including fillets and fish meat, coconuts, brazil nuts and cashew nuts, almonds, preserved meat including offal or blood, cocoa paste and cocoa butter, ground nuts, pineapples, citrus fruit, pears, apricots, cherries, peaches, strawberries, tea and coffee essences and concentrates, trunk and suit cases-brief cases apparel and clothing accessories of leather, men’s, women’s and boy’s overcoats, jackets, baby garments and clothing accessories, garments like track suits and swimwear, handkerchiefs, ties, shawls, scarves, mufflers, curtains and interior blinds, tarpaulins and tents, footwear and their parts, imitation jewellery, watches, diapers and sanitary towels.

Some of the 289 items on which regulatory duty was increased from 10 to 15pc are: yogurt, butter, dairy spreads and others, cheese, curd, grated or powdered cheese of all kinds, natural honey, pineapples, avocados, guavas, mangoes, frozen mango, mango pulp, oranges, kino (fresh) , grapefruit, dried litmus products, watermelons, papaws (papayas), apples, pears, quinces, apricots, sour cherries, peaches, plums and sloes, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, mulberries and loganberries, black, white or red currants and gooseberries, kiwifruit, durians, persimmons, pomegranates, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, mulberries, loganberries, black, white or red currants and gooseberries, cherries, apricots, prunes, apples, cherries, pine nut (chilgoza), peaches (aaroo), plums (aloocha), lichis, raisins, mixtures of nuts or dried fruits of this chapter, peel of citrus fruit or melons (including watermelons) fresh, frozen, dried or provisionally preserved in brine, in sulphur water or in other preservative solutions, chewing gum, whether or not sugar- coated, white chocolate, cocoa powder, containing added sugar or other sweetening matter, chocolate preparation, malt extract, preparations other than in retail packing, not containing cocoa, containing eggs, vermicelli, stuffed pasta, whether or not cooked or otherwise prepared, other pasta, couscous, corn flakes, prepared foods obtained from unroasted cereal flakes or from mixtures of unroasted cereal flakes and roasted cereal flakes or swelled cereals, bulgur wheat, crisp bread, gingerbread and the like, sweet biscuits, waffles and wafers, rusks, toasted bread and similar toasted products, cucumbers and gherkins, pickles, tomatoes, whole or in pieces, tomatoes paste, mushrooms of the genus agaricus, potatoes and other vegetables and mixtures of vegetables.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1223471/rs40bn-new-taxes-in-mini-budget

Cotton crop disaster: opportunity for global seed corporations

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AZRA TALAT SAYEED

NEWSPAPERS have been rife with reports about a pink bollworm attack on the cotton crop this year. The scenario is indeed disastrous on many accounts.

Of course, the very first thing to be destroyed is the livelihood of the country’s millions of small farmers.

With cotton being a major cash crop, millions rely on its harvest for a sizable portion of their income. In fact, they go heavily into debt to not only buy the cotton seed but also expensive inputs like fertilisers and multiple pesticides that are sprayed on cotton. Without these, the seed cannot yield a good harvest.

According to small farmers from Multan and Sahiwal, nearly 90pc of the cotton crop has been destroyed. For farmers in Multan who sowed on leased land, the per-acre loss is approximately Rs40,000. And the loss for those who have their own land runs to about Rs20,000.

Another critical point is the amount of pesticides that have been used on the cotton crop this year. A newspaper advisory from the government mentions the ‘correct’ use of pesticides that farmers should be applying on the beleaguered cotton crop. This is indeed ironic, as one major selling point of Bt cotton is its ability to ward off pest attacks. But the attack of pink bollworms this year has at least put this claim to rest.

There are farmers who also feel that the crop’s failure will be beneficial for the gigantic seed corporations that thrive on their expensive patented seeds.

According to a farmer from the Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek, this could be a golden opportunity to push farmers to switch from cotton to corn. Corn is used for making ethanol. Pioneer, an American company, has also been promoting the use of certain branded corn varieties that are used for animal feed.

The animal dung from animals fed these corn varieties yield higher urea content and is considered a good source of biogas. But one has to yet see whether the patented hybrid corn seeds will turn out to be a boon or bane for Pakistan’s agriculture sector.

What is the cost of these branded seeds? Hybrid corn seeds of Pioneer, Syngenta and Monsanto are priced at Rs5,500-6,000 per 10kg; it takes about 10kg of seeds for per-acre sowing. The ‘beauty’ of these seeds is that none of them give seed for next year’s cultivation. Hence, the farmers have to buy new batches of seed every year.

That is the crux of the matter for the agro-chemical and biotechnology firms. No doubt, the ‘commodification’ of natural resources is a key strategy of market-driven forces.

At the moment, all cotton seeds in the market are being sold without trademarks. The price of 1kg of cotton can vary from Rs300 to Rs1,500. If women sow seed by hand, then at least 3kg is needed; if seed drills are used, then 5-8kg is required.

So if patented cotton seed, particularly the genetically modified Bt variety, is introduced next year (a major reason for the passing of the Amended Seed Act 2015), then there is no doubt that seed prices will jump.

The cotton crop’s failure this year can be exactly the kind of situation that benefits multinational corporations: it will now be argued that substandard seed is the cause of the current catastrophe.

However, it needs to be pointed out that Bt cotton has suffered a similar fate in India, where this seed is heavily protected under patents. The Nagpur-based Central Institute for Cotton Research has confirmed the pink bollworm’s resistance to Monsanto’s second generation biotechnology protection Bollgard-II in some parts of Indian Gujarat.

Meanwhile, our textile industry will face a further setback when it is unable to find cotton for local production. According to some newspapers, the All Pakistan Textile Manufacturers Association and the Pakistan Cotton Ginners’ Association are advocating for the import of Bt cotton seeds supported by Monsanto.

At the same time, Pakistan is increasing its sugarcane harvest to produce more ethanol. According to the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook, Pakistan increased its ethanol production from 97.2m litres in 2004 to 321.8m litres in 2014.

Based on media reports, much of the ethanol in the country is being sent to Europe. Do our farmers want to be energy suppliers to the oil-guzzling vehicle industry in the northern hemisphere? What about food for our own people?

azra.sayeed@gmail.com

Published in Dawn, Business & Finance weekly, November 23rd, 2015

National food security policy on its way: Bosan

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ISLAMABAD: The national food security policy is being finalised and would be announced after complete consensus, said Minister for National Food Security and Research Sikandar Hayat Bosan.
“We have uploaded the draft on the official website of the ministry for comments and suggestions from the members of parliament and other stakeholders,” he said. The policy would be submitted to the federal cabinet for final approval before its announcement.
He said the National Food Security Council is also being set up, to be headed by the Prime Minister, to further boost the agriculture sector. The council would help resolve issues between the federal and provincial governments, pertaining to agriculture after the 18th Amendment.
“The ministry would also present the Plant Breeders Rights Bill during the upcoming session of the National Assembly, which would revolutionise the agriculture sector within three years,” said Bosan, adding the protection of breeders’ rights would build up confidence among local and foreign breeders and attract investment in the sector.
“Our government to give relief to farmers has announced a ‘Kissan Relief Package worth Rs341 billion, which is a short-term measure to prepare farmers to cultivate the next crop. Under the package, rice and cotton growers having 12.5 acres or less land would be provided Rs5,000 per acre support.”
“We have also tried to reduce the input cost by relieving duties on pesticides and fertilisers,” he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 21th, 2015.

http://tribune.com.pk/story/995603/agriculture-national-food-security-policy-on-its-way-bosan/

Punjab declares 10-year wheat seed replacement plan

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LAHORE: The Punjab on Thursday declared its massive wheat seed replacement plan, spanning a decade, to multiply it’s per acre yield by almost three times — from current just under 30 maunds up to 80 maunds.

According to departmental statistics, it has already transported over 70,000 bags and the rest 30,000 bags would be transported in next two to three days, covering all 23,800 villages in the province, and meeting the most propitious sowing deadline of Nov 30.

The seed replacement programme was necessitated as almost all seed varieties currently under usage, which cover 80 per cent of 17.20 million acres, have become susceptible to a variety of diseases, like rust.

According to Punjab Agriculture Minister Farrukh Javed, these 100,000 bags would be sufficient to produce five million bags of seed, which would replace the current seed.

The Punjab plans to take per acre yield to 100 maunds, and the programme is an effort in this regard, he said and added: “The Punjab has spared Rs300 million for the project this year, out of which Rs240 million have gone for seed procurement.”

Envisages three times rise in per acre yield
Under the programme, one progressive farmer in each village would get four bags of seed for free, and would sell multiplied seed in his village from next year.

The department has prepared a data base of around 200,000 progressive farmers for the purpose and 23,800 of them would get four bags each this year. Next year, these farmers would be replaced with another 23,800, and the department hopes to replace the entire seed in next 10 years.

The framers, while praising the move, suggest that instead of providing four bags in each village, the distribution should be linked to acreage in every village. “It would be much more efficient way of seed replacement,” says Muhammad Azam of Narowal district.

There are 811 villages in the Faisalabad district and more than 1,200 in Narowal, but the cropping area in the Faisalabad district is 755,000 acres, whereas it is 400,000 acres in Narowal. Thus the seed requirements of both differ widely, which should be factored in.

The current distribution plan averages out at 165 acres per bag. There are districts like Faisalabad where seed requirement is much more than other districts.

If the Punjab government adjusts its distribution plan according to the acreage, its replacement plan could be shortened to less than 10 years and it is better advised to reconsider the distribution pattern, he said.

“But apart from re-calculating the requirement, the seed replacement plan could, and should, only be welcomed, as it has been long overdue,” says Naeem Hotiana of Pakpattan.

Almost entire range of seeds have become susceptible to diseases and needed to be replaced in the last decade or so. “It is a case of proverbial better late than never.”

He said if the province can triple its yield, as being claimed by the minister, it could easily spare huge acreage for diversification for other crops like vegetable and pulses.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1219571/punjab-declares-10-year-wheat-seed-replacement-plan

Destruction of the Cotton Harvest: A Golden Opportunity for Transnational Corporations?

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 Dr. Azra Talat Sayeed

In Pakistan, newspapers have been rife with news on the pink bollworm attack on the cotton harvest this year. The scenario is indeed disastrous on many accounts. Of course, the very first in line to be caught in the destruction are Pakistan’s millions of small farmers. With cotton being a major cash crop, millions rely on the cotton harvest to provide them with a sizeable amount of their income. In fact, they go heavily into debt to not only buy the cottonseed but also very expensive fertilizers and the many types of pesticides that are sprayed on cotton, without which conventional or genetically modified seeds will not yield a harvest. According to small farmers from Multan and Sahiwal, nearly 90 percent of crop has been destroyed. For farmers who have leased land their loss per acre is approximately Rs 40,000 in Multan. For those, who have their own land loss is about Rs 20,000 per acre.

Another critical point is the amount of pesticides that have been used on the cotton crop this year. A newspaper advisory from the government mentions the ‘correct’ use of pesticides that farmer should be applying on cotton. That is indeed ironical: one of the hypes used for promotion of Bt cotton has been its ability to ward off pest attack. But this year the attack of pink bollworms has put to rest this myth, at least.

For those of us who have long critiqued the promotion of genetically modified seeds one does not know whether to rejoice the failure of the harvest or to mourn the loss of livelihood and further ecological harm that this crop has been able to havoc on the environment?

There are farmers who also feel that this failure can be beneficial to gigantic seed corporations who thrive on their patented very expensive seeds. Next year would be an ideal year for seed giants such as Monsanto to insist on selling very expensive branded Bt Cotton.

According to a farmer from a small farmers alliance namely Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT), this could be a golden opportunity for the push to change from cotton to corn sowing. As we all know, corn is being used for making ethanol. Pioneer, another American company has been promoting the use of certain branded corn varieties that are used for animal feed. The animal dung from these animals yield higher urea content and is considered to be a good source of biogas.

What is the cost of these branded seeds? An example is of hybrid corn seeds in the market. Seeds by Pioneer, Syngenta and Monsanto are priced at Rs 5,500 to Rs 6,000 per 10 kg which is what is needed per acre. The ‘beauty of these seeds is that none of them give seed for next year cultivation. Hence the farmer has to buy seeds every year. This was the main pivot for pushing for intellectual property rights on seeds under the TRIPs agreement in the WTO.

At the moment all cottonseed in the market is being sold with out trade marks. For one kilogram of cotton seed the price can vary from Rs 300 to Rs 1500/kg. If women sow seed by hand than at least 3 kg seed is needed; if seed drills are used than 5-8 kg is used. Of course if patented cotton seed is introduced next year, the reason for passing the Amended Seed Act 2015, then there is no doubt that cotton seed costs will jump sky high.

So indeed, the cotton crop failure this year could be exactly the kind of situation that the multinational corporations have been advocating: substandard seed is the cause of the current catostrope. However, it needs to be pointed out that Bt Cotton has suffered a similar fate in India where Bt Cotton seed is very much under patent protection. The Nagpur-based Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) has confirmed the pink bollworm resistance to Monsanto’s second-generation biotechnology protection Bollgard-II in some parts of Indian Gujarat

So on one hand Pakistan’s agriculture faces crop failure due to malfunctioning hybrid and GM seeds although the corporations continue the propaganda that patented seeds will not give very high yields. On the hand, crop pattern in itself is changing: there is increasing push to grow sugar cane ethanol. According to OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook, Pakistan has increased it ethanol production from 97.2 million litres in 2004 to 321.8 million litres in 2014. Based on newspaper reporting much of the ethanol in Pakistan is being sent to Europe.

There is every chance that corn will also gain ground for ethanol and/or as feed and urea production. If indeed, western countries in their ‘addiction’ to energy are looking for markets for not only their seeds but also land for growing ethanol, then Pakistan’s agricultural production is most probably fall back on colonial production and trade patterns.  We will be once again a cash crop supplier to Europe and other rich nations, as in the days of colonization.

Do our farmers want to be energy suppliers to the oil-guzzling vehicle industry in the North? What about food for our people? What is the cost of producing clean energy for Northern ‘democracies’? What are the chances for equitable land distribution in this current scenario? Will the landlords not be even more strong now? And of course the onslaught of land grabbing will certainly gain momentum to gain maximum profits from oil producing crops not to mention other lucrative corporate agriculture ventures? In how many more ways are we going to suffer from the imperialist nations’ constant plundering from our soils?

‘Seedy’ Business

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ZUBEIDA MUSTAFA
www.zubeidamustafa.com

COTTON growers in southern Punjab are facing a serious crisis. Their crop production has shrunk drastically. The reasons stated, among others, are poor quality seeds and severe pest attack.

These factors can be addressed, provided the will exists. Poor seeds and pest attacks that are interconnected have a causal link with the rapid spread of genetically modified organisms (GMO) that have begun to shake public confidence the world over.

The tide is now turning as demonstrations have been held against GMOs, which shot to fame when they were promoted as the miracle seed to eliminate hunger. But the fact is that hybrid plants in which genomes from different species are mixed are too new and untested a technology to win universal acceptance.

Hybrid plants are too untested a technology to win universal acceptance.
Awareness is growing and people have begun to question the wisdom of genetic modification of seeds to increase agricultural production and pre-empt pest attacks. WHO has also cast doubts on health-related issues linked to GMOs. Many countries have banned their cultivation.

Pakistan has a different story. The GM seed producing biotech multinationals in the country appear to be doing well. Pakistan’s agriculture faces an existential threat as the GMO seeds being used widely in cotton plantation have not been tested rigorously in local conditions. Their impact is not fully understood.

This makes our economy very vulnerable as nearly 70pc of the population depends on agriculture for its livelihood with cotton occupying a pivotal place. It constitutes 10pc of the GDP, while cotton exports account for 55pc of the country’s foreign exchange earnings.

Pakistan’s GMO story is a relatively new one. Yet we failed to learn from the terrible experience of others who jumped onto the GMO bandwagon before us. Bt cotton seeds were smuggled into Pakistan in 2005. In the absence of a legal regulatory framework for the transfer and use of genetically modified seeds in the country, this was risky business especially in light of the earlier news of peasant suicides in India.

The authorities proceeded to approve Bt cotton for planting in Pakistan in 2010. By the government’s own admission — the illegality of the process notwithstanding — by then the GM brand of cotton was covering 60pc of Pakistan’s cotton acreage. Today, that figure is said to be 85 pc. Matters have now taken a serious turn. Ignoring the advice of experts for strong regulatory oversight, the government took up in 2014 24 pending applications for commercial licences for Bt cotton and genetically modified corn.

It appears to be going all out to accommodate the seed manufacturers that included biotech multinationals. A court battle has, meanwhile, ensued that has acted somewhat as a dampener, and no new licences have been issued recently. But Bt has penetrated the seed sector in a big way.

Ground-breaking research on GMOs by Tahir Hasnain, an agriculture expert, should explode many myths. He writes that cultivating Bt cotton is more expensive. The price of seeds is higher and the greater need for fertiliser, water and pesticides pushes up the costs. Ironically, new pests have emerged as the genetically modified varieties of cotton that have a low expression of the required toxins make the bugs resistant to them. GM was supposed to minimise pest attacks. Now the sale of pesticide manufactured by the same biotech companies has shot up.

A new phenomenon which could have grim repercussions is the shift to cash crops away from food that is beginning to take place on account of different harvesting seasons of GMOs leaving no time for wheat sowing. In 2014-15, wheat production declined in Pakistan. Mean­while, cotton has failed to reach the production level it had achieved in 2004, before the advent of the age of Bt.

The government is protecting the interests of the biotech multinationals whose financially underpinned ‘lobbying’ powers match the capacity of our policymakers to accept ‘favours’. The parliamentarians have been no different and have adopted a bill amending the Seeds Act, 1976, to “improve the existing law so as to enable it to meet the requirements of the modern seed industry”.

Pressure for change comes from the US which wants Pakistan to meet its ‘obligations’ under WTO regulations and create a larger market for the private seed producers. Previously, seed manufacturing was primarily in the public sector, The amended law now opens the door to giant biotech companies to enter the Pakistan seed market.

Since much of the criticism focuses on the absence of research and tests on the Bt cotton seeds in local conditions, in 2011 the US paid $5.5 million to Pakistani agricultural institutes to do research on Bt cotton. Unsurprisingly, this has produced no results.

Bt cotton is a good example of how corporate domination is secured by circumventing weak regulatory mechanisms and manipulating the corrupt ruling classes who are co-opted as lobbyists to pave the way for corporate goals.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2015

http://www.dawn.com/news/1219280/seedy-business

Capitalist Agriculture caused Hunger

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October 16, 2015

World Hunger Day (Press Release)

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has been celebrating 16 October as World Food Day from the past 70 years. This year it’s slogan for the World Food Day is “Agriculture and Social Security.”

Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek (PKMT) and Roots for Equity along with other farmer movements and organizations like the Asian Peasant Collision (APC) and Pesticides Action Network (PAN AP) observers the World Food Day as World Hunger day. Even today, 60% of Pakistani population does not have food security, whereas 50% women suffer from anemia. In Pakistan 35% of small children die from malnutrition, and 50% of children less than 5 years suffer from stunting.

For the World Hunger Day, PKMT had organized a protest in front of the TMA Hall, Haripur, Khyber Pakhtunkwa. Various PKMT leaders including Raja Mujeeb, Tariq Mahmood, Fayaz Ahmed, Altaf Hussain and Wali Haider spoke against the prevailing hunger in the country. It is a bitter truth that in an agricultural country like Pakistan, farmers are facing hunger because more than 70 percent of them are landless. Landlessness and exploitation of farmers is entrenched in the semi-feudal structure of the economy and encroaching capitalist policies.  Land grabbing through government support for corporate agriculture is increasing across the country.

Climate change is also a critical reason behind increasing hunger and food insecurity. The carbon emissions from industrial production in capitalist economies are a prime reason for Pakistan being one of the most vulnerable countries impacted from climate change. In the previous years, farmers have been facing debilitating economic loss due to yearly floods causing destruction of crops and loss of livestock. Tharparkar is facing acute drought that has killed thousands of children and livestock. Almost 40 percent of the population has had to move in search of food and livelihood.

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The elitist Pakistani government in collusion with International organizations, first world governments and the hegemonic international corporate sector are promoting trade liberalization. An example is the approval of the Seed Amendment Act 2015 that protects the interests of the agro-chemical corporations and allows the spread of genetically modified seeds in the country. The approval of this draconian law will take away the right of farmers to save and develop seeds: in this scenario how can they ensure food security in the country? Neoliberal policies have already pushed small and landless farmers into debt making them dependent on agro-chemical corporations.  The increased production prices have pushed many farmers to migrate in search of other livelihood.

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Pakistan is being forced to accept alternate fuel technologies. These include agro fuel crops such as sugar cane and maize; large tracts of land are being used for installation of solar and wind energy projects. All of this will lead to further shortage of land and food and can only exacerbate hunger!

Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek and Roots for Equity demand an end to Feudalism and Corporate Farming. In order to attain food sovereignty and sustainable agriculture it is critically important that equitable distribution of land amongst small and landless farmers is carried out. In addition, all decision making and implementation of agriculture policies must be in the hands of small and landless farmers!

PKMT and Roots also hold a protest in front of Sukkur Press club, Sindh on the eve of World Hunger Day on 16th October, 2015. PKMT leaders Ali Gohar, Ali Nawaz, Hakim Gul, Mohammd Azim, Gul Hassan spoken to the protest and highlighted the issue of small and landless farmers in Sindh. They demanded Genuine Agrarian Reforms and also rejected the recently passed Seed Amended Bill 2015.

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Released by: Pakistan Kissan Mazdoor Tehreek and Roots for Equity

GOOD NEWS?

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Engro fertilizers has published this advertisement in the Urdu Daily “Roznama Jang” on October 21, 2015. It declares the following: “Good News: A subsidy has been announced on fertilizers.”

jang 21 octEngro declares that it is are very thankful to the Prime Minister Mian  Mohammad Nawaz Sharif and the Federal Minister for National Food Security and Research Mr Sikander Hyat Bosan for announcing a subsidy on fertilizers. This step will result in prosperity for all farmers in the country.

The advertisement read: “ We are announcing that because of the subsidy the cost of various Engro fertilizers will be reduced.” The advertisement then provides a list of six engro products with their reduced price list.  However, the list only provides a reduction amount, for example that DAP will now be sold at Rs 500 less for each bag. The original cost of the DAP bag is missing. Hence the corporation can easily raise the price and then declare a subsidy – otherwise why did this advertisement not provide the cost per bag – which would make it easy for farmers at the retail stores to demand a particular price for the products.

It quite clear that this package is hoodwinking not only the farmers but the entire nation. The subsidy will only be truly beneficial to the big land lords and of course Engro itself. According to the news in The Express Tribune 23 September 15, the subsidy is given directly to the fertilizer companies and they will set the price according to the subsidy given to them. So, the subsidy ensures that Engro retains its high profit margin – which for the last three-months profits ending June 2015 was declared to be Rs.4.05 billion after taxes – or an increase in profits by 109%.

The small farmer will lose on many accounts: First, even after the subsidy the cost is astronomicalfor purchasing various chemical fertilizers including urea and DAP. In addition, pesticides, hybrid seeds, tube well charges, diesel are all very expensive for the small and landless farmers. So, this chemically-intensive farming methods will only lead to massive debts for farmers which has been the pattern now for many many years. Second, this chemical intensive agriculture production is extremely hazardous for the environment: leading to contamination of our farmlands, water sources, livestock, and the entire food chain. The productivity and fertility of our lands are decreasing day by day. Third: the impact of fertilizers and pesticides is extremely harmful to the health of the communities across the nation, whether urban or rural.

So, no doubt the subsidy is for the rich and powerful!