Setback for GM crops as India delays launch

INDIA has postponed the launch of its first genetically modified crop amid safety fears.

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh said more studies were needed to ensure GM aubergines would not harm consumers and the environment.

The crop has undergone trials since 2008 and received official approval last year. But there has been a heated public debate over its cultivation.

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New Delhi's stance could come as a blow to seed producers such as Monsanto, which is seeking to enter one of the world's largest food markets, and where it has made substantial investment in research and development.

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