Monsanto appeals for unbanning hybrid seeds in Nepal

Monsanto has appealed to the Nepal's Seed Quality Control Centre that the ban on the import and supply of hybrid seeds be withdrawn, said a government official.

Monsanto had been supplying corn and vegetables hybrid seeds to Nepal, had to face supply restrictions following the Supreme Court’s interim order issued on Jan 8 to prohibit imports of genetically modified (GM) seeds including those supplied by Monsanto .

“A Monsanto team came here and asked us to lift the restriction,” said Dila Ram Bhandari, chief seed development officer at the centre. “They have asked us not to impose restrictions on the supply of hybrid seeds stating that the court had ordered only to prohibit imports of genetically modified (GM) seeds,” Bhandari said.

Bhandari said that the centre had also restricted Monsanto from supplying even hybrid seeds for the time being. “As there was intense pressure and criticism over Monsanto , we had no option other than to restrict it for some time,” he said. “On the other hand, we also have to honour the court decision.”  

However, the team argued that it was not a fair decision to restrict a single company, as there were a number of other companies supplying hybrid seeds, Bhandari said.    

In December last year, a notice of CG Seeds and Fertilizer seeking proposals from interested suppliers for selling Monsanto ’s hybrid corn seeds and GMOs had stoked controversy and fuelled widespread furore.

Although, the company, a subsidiary of the Chaudhary Group, later clarified that the proposal was erroneous and imports had been discontinued, the company was forced to face criticism from civil society, the National Right to Food Network, NGOs and farmer groups which demanded that the government immediately ban imports of GMO seeds.

Following this, advocate Arjun Aryal filed a writ on Dec 29, 2013 seeking the court’s intervention after a number of companies were reported to be preparing to import GM seeds. Aryal had mentioned in his plea that GM seeds push out local seed varieties and affect biodiversity. They are also reported to be harmful to public health.

The apex court, earlier on Jan 8, had issued a stay order which prohibited the import of GMO seeds. And it continued its previous stay order until the final hearing of the petition. The Ministry of Agriculture Development, however, has denied importing GM seeds from the company. Monsanto has been supplying 10 hybrid seeds, five vegetable and five corn seeds.