NEW DELHI: The Economic Survey has pitched for adopting genetically modified ( GM ) seeds for increasing productivity and suggested the government to extend it to all crops without limiting it to transgenic mustard. "The controversies on the adoption of high yielding variety (HYV) and GM seeds need to be resolved and extended to all crops, not just mustard", said the mid-year Economic Survey, tabled in the Parliament on the last day of the Monsoon session on Friday.The Survey found the uncertainty around GM crops as one of the policy risks in agriculture.It said, "An important measure that can reduce risk is the introduction of HYV and GM seeds that have been stuck in controversies over decades. "The progress needs to be evaluated in terms of outcomes such as catching up with global yields as a means to increase income of farmers. The dissemination of scale neutral technology suited to small scale farming and use of IT is necessary to improve the productivity of small farm holdings which dominate the Indian agriculture sector", said the Survey.It also suggested greater role of market forces in the sector. It said, "To address the agrarian concerns, the primary among the changes required is to allow a greater role for market forces, recognizing that market does not necessarily have a physical form".

Source: Times of India August 11, 2017 15:22 UTC