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Monsanto India vs govt battle gives birth to new industry association

The Federation of Seed Industry of India wants the government to let market forces set the prices of seeds and not some regulatory framework.

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The battle between Monsanto India and New Delhi over BT Cotton has been going on for quite sometime now. In the latest, and the move severe move yet, Monsanto India deferred the plans of introducing an upgraded version of its genetically modified cotton. The decision sent Monsanto's share price tumbling, and now, has led to the formation of a new industry association. 

Major seed companies in the country introduced the Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII), which includes ten companies. It includes domestic and global players like Monsanto India, Bayer Corp Science, DuPont Pioneer, Syngenta, Dow Agrosciences, and Indian companies like Namdhari seeds​, Rasi Seeds, Bio Seeds South Asia, and Mahyco.

The FSII wants the government to allow the market to set the price of GM seeds rather than any other regulatory mechanism, a report in PTI said. 

"We believe that the market should determine the prices ...We are for the market driven mechanism rather than the regulatory mechanism," FSII President M Ramasami was quoted in the PTI report as saying. 

The ongoing feud with the government over royalty payments, licencing for companies conducting research and developing new technologies, and intellectual property, led to the formation of this federation. Ramasami said the federation is driven by the fundamental value of respecting research and intellectual properties of each other companies. It will work to address issues affecting the growth of seed industry in India, the report said. The firms have agreed to rally behind Monsanto India. 

The FSII's ten members have set aside Rs 520 crore for research work and make up for 30% of the market share in India, the PTI report said. 

The move came just a day after Monsanto India withdrew its application to seek environmental clearance to introduce its updated, next-generation BT cotton seeds. 

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