| ign="center"> | | | | evaporates when they go to the press. They also |
| For a month now, reports of dead cattle have | | | | seem to consider that sheep deaths are due to |
| occupied the centre stage in the Warangal, | | | | ânitrate toxicityâ. But the nitrate |
| Khammam and Adilabad Districts of the | | | | content was not estimated either in the plants or |
| Telengana area of Andhra Pradesh in India | | | | the sheep body fluids and tissues. Drought and |
| (Deccan Herald, February 7, 2007, The Hindu, | | | | water stress results in the accumulation of a large |
| March 2, 2007, GM Watch, March 4, 2007). None | | | | number of chemical compounds in the drying |
| of the reports showed that Bt protein in the Bt | | | | plants, such as resins, polyphenols such as |
| cotton plants was the real culprit, but the | | | | gossypol and several others, which can be toxic |
| purveyors of these reports would like the world | | | | when consumed in large quantities. Nonetheless, |
| to believe that there is something wrong with Bt | | | | nitrates or other toxic compounds cannot be |
| cotton plants that cause these alleged animal | | | | exclusive to Bt cotton plants |
| deaths and so Bt transgenics should be banned. | | | | The Officers of the Department of Agriculture of |
| With more than 90 per cent of cotton grown in | | | | the Warangal District we met said that sheep |
| the Telengana region being Bt cotton, the cattle | | | | death cannot be attributed to Bt cotton and that |
| graze on Bt cotton stubble. Since Bt protein is | | | | residual pesticides are probably the cause, and |
| established beyond any reasonable doubt that it is | | | | sheep died even before Bt cotton was cultivated |
| non-toxic to mammals on account of its mode of | | | | in the area. |
| chemical action, the investigation should | | | | An agriculture reporter of a local vernacular daily |
| concentrate on what other chemicals the dead | | | | also does not believe that there is any connection |
| dying cotton plants contain affecting the cattle. | | | | between sheep deaths and Bt cotton. |
| The reported symptoms such as convulsions, | | | | We met several cotton seed and pesticide dealers |
| nasal discharge, vomiting, respiratory problems | | | | who do not see any connection between Bt |
| and diarrhea can be caused by a variety of | | | | cotton and sheep deaths. They said that |
| factors, and cannot be attributed exclusively to | | | | âChituku rogamâ, a fatal |
| the chemical contents of Bt plants, as non-Bt | | | | bacterial disease of sheep, appears in the District |
| cotton plants too contain the same chemical | | | | now and then. |
| compounds except for the Bt protein. | | | | Most of the large number of farmers we met in |
| A veterinary doctor reportedly said that the | | | | the District heard about sheep deaths but have |
| treatment is symptomatic since the 'culprit toxic | | | | no first hand knowledge of the issue. They have |
| substance is not identifiedâ. âIt | | | | indicated that most reports of sheep deaths |
| needs more than a laboratory analysis to curb the | | | | come from the township of Oorugunda where an |
| occurrence of animal deaths due to suspected | | | | NGO operates and also from the village area of |
| poisoningâ another veterinarian observed. | | | | Veladi. |
| The State Legislative Assembly seems to have | | | | None of the activists speak about sheep deaths |
| been informed that no deaths of cattle | | | | that occurred before Bt cotton cultivation came |
| attributable to the consumption of Bt cotton | | | | into practice in this region. The big question is why |
| plants were reported. Yet the NGOs claim that | | | | cattle only in a few Districts of the Telengana |
| the Government Veterinary Department ascribed | | | | region die? If cattle are reported to be dying on |
| the deaths to grazing Bt cotton plants. | | | | eating Bt cotton plants only in the Telengana |
| I was in the Warangal District in the middle of | | | | region of Andhra Pradesh, the causes are |
| December 2006, along with Professor Ronald | | | | probably elsewhere, other than in the Bt stubble. |
| Herring (Cornell University) and Dr S Shantharam | | | | Next wave of reporting would be about people |
| (Biologistics International, US) and discussed sheep | | | | who fell sick on drinking milk from the cows and |
| deaths with different groups of people and no | | | | buffalos that ate Bt cotton plants. The remedies |
| one said that the sheep died only because they | | | | are simpleâprovide the cattle with proper |
| consumed Bt cotton plants. | | | | feed and prevent them from grazing on drying |
| The representatives of the Centre for Sustainable | | | | cotton plants, no matter Bt or non-Bt. |
| Agriculture (CAS, Secunderabad), the most vocal | | | | As per the records of the District Department of |
| face of anti-agricultural biotechnology and sheep | | | | Agriculture, a compensation of Rs. 3.27 crore was |
| death movement said that basing on the data | | | | paid to the farmers in the Telengana District on |
| provided by the Andhra Pradesh Shepherds Union, | | | | account of alleged failure of Bt cotton crop during |
| about 120 sheep died on eating Bt cotton leaves | | | | the last couple of years. From this precedence, it |
| in 11 Mandals of Warangal and Khammam districts, | | | | looks that the Government of Andhra Pradesh |
| last year. According to them there were many | | | | and producers of Bt cotton seed should now get |
| other reports of death of a large number of | | | | ready to dish out compensation for cattle deaths |
| sheep in the region. CSA admitted that Bt protein | | | | in Telengana. |
| is not toxic to mammals, but this wisdom | | | | |