Madam, - In these times of economic hardship, with ongoing concerns and worries over the credit crunch, please spare a thought or two for the Indian farmers who, through no fault of their own, are now in desperation.
These people were encouraged to change their natural crops to genetically modified varieties, which have subsequently failed. The GM seeds have not delivered the magical yields that were promised; and they are not designed to do so.
To compound the problem, GM crops are not designed to re-seed, which means that the farmers have to purchase new seeds every year and are therefore at the discretion of their suppliers. The reason the seeds do not procreate is because they have been modified to have what is known as a termination seed - i.e., they essentially self-destruct. This is not what nature intended. Crop failures and crippling debts are taking their toll.
To date an estimated 150,000 farmers have taken their own lives in desperation over failed crops and increasing debts. There is an awful irony in that a seed that self-destructs is contributing to so many people doing likewise. It puts our own troubles in perspective. - Yours, etc,
JOHN CARLIN,
Sycamore Road,
Mount Merrion,
Co Dublin.