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Abstract
Public including farmers perceptions about Biotech Crops (GM crops ) is influenced by a broad range of issues, including environmental safety, ethics, cultural diversity, political environment, educational status, religious conviction, legal repercussions, economic gain, and socioeconomic impact. The present survey was done to spread the awareness about GM crops and Agriculture Biotechnology among the farmers and to know the extent of farmer's perception, knowledge, readiness and support for genetically modified crops and biotechnological applications. Face-to-face questionnaire survey was conducted with randomly selected 173 farmer respondents. The results of the survey revealed that the farmers are ready to adopt GM crops for plantation as it offers improved yield in low production cost and would like to promote the GM food to the consumers, but combined appropriate policies, awareness and communications strategy, effective regulatory system is need of time to cope with the ever-increasing misconception spread by the anti-GM lobby without any scientific background. GM crops concerns coined by the anti-GM crops sightseer visited to the "Agri Biotechnology and GM crop awareness" stall at Agrowon AgriExpo - 2014 were noted and satisfactory scientifically based answers were given. The finding of the study can help policymakers for designing the GM crop awareness system considering the farmers interest.
Highlights
* There has been no survey-cum-awareness studies conducted in an Agri-Expo hosting diverse farmer population.
* This stduy reveals that farmers are willing to adop and promote the GM crops as it offers improved yield in low production cost.
* Self sustaining long term awareness programme is need of time to avoid misguidance and delay in adoption of GM crop in India.
Keywords: Genetically Modified (GM) crops, perception, survey, agri-biotechnology and Bt crop.
The biotechnology implies an approach of creation, invention and innovation. Biotechnological tools can be used to improve and conserve agriculture, horticulture, animals, medicine and environment (Patidar at al. 2013). A genetic modification is a special set of gene technology that alters the genetic machinery of such living organisms as animals, plants or microorganisms. Combining genes from different organisms is known as recombinant DNA technology and the resulting organism is said to be 'Genetically modified (GM)', 'Genetically engineered' or 'transgenic' (Bawa and Anilkumar 2012). The technology which creates such organisms, o en called as "Modern...