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Dr G.S. Khush (left), principal plant breeder and Head of Plant Breeding Division of the International Rice Research Institute, Manila, in conversation with the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Dr C. Rangarajan, at the inauguration of the workshop on `Biotechnological interventions for dryland agriculture - Opportunities and constraints' in Hyderabad on Thursday. Dr M.V. Rao, Chairman, AP Netherlands Biotechnology Project, and Dr Subba Rao, Vice-Chancellor of the Agricultural University, are also seen.

HYDERABAD, July 18

THE commercial deployment of transgenic crops should go through an assessment of risks and benefits in terms of trade and commerce, noted rice scientist, Dr G.S. Khush, has said.

It is prudent to explore ways by which the advantages offered by genetic engineering technology can be exploited without taking undue risks, keeping in view the overall national interest, he said while delivering the keynote address at the international workshop on `Biotechnological interventions for dry land agriculture - opportunities and constraints', here today.

The assessment of risks and benefits should be made on the basis of scientific criteria in a transparent manner involving various stakeholders.

In order that farmers are not deprived of the benefits of improved materials generated through such advanced technologies, decision about commercialisation of the product should be taken expeditiously and in a hassle-free procedural environment, Dr Khush, who is also the principal plant breeder of the International Rice Research Institute, Manila, said.

Dr Khush also called for judicious thinking in increasing investments from the private sector. The benefits of private investment in crop research are obvious, especially in the emerging areas of genomics and genetic engineering. Private sector companies are venturing into knowledge generation as shown by Monsanto and Syngenta's investment in the rice genome sequencing and germ plasm improvement, he pointed out.

On the one hand private investment can bring about new innovations and technologies to farmers. On the other hand, a shift in the balance of public and private investment in rice research has also aroused concerns that some proprietary technologies might become unavailable to those who cannot afford them. Such concerns must be addressed because gene identification, validation and applications are occurring at an accelerating pace, Dr Khush said.

He felt public-private participation on the lines of the human-genome project, where 10 pharmaceutical companies and the Wellcome Trust have agreed to fund and create a publicly available archive of human genetic variation should be considered as a model. A similar pattern of collaboration in rice functional genomics was desired, he said.

Earlier, inaugurating the three-day workshop, the Andhra Pradesh Governor, Dr C. Rangarajan advocated an approach that followed the principle of precaution and principle of transparency for the successful promotion of biotechnology.

In view of the implications of biotechnology on human and animal health and environment utmost care need to be taken before the release of these technologies.

Biotech methods should be subjected to elaborate risk assessment to find out all possible affects, both intentional and unintentional, positive and harmful.

However, the precautionary principle should not prevent reaping the advantages of the new technology. Similarly, the process of decision making to permit the use of biotechnology should be transparent, the Governor said.

Dr M.V. Rao, Chairman of the Committee of the Andhra Pradesh-Netherlands Biotech Programme, which is organising the workshop said during the sessions important technology issues would be discussed, the future plans of the programme firmed up and a public debate on `Agricultural biotechnology, promise or peril' organised.

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