Bt Cotton Catches On In AP, Green Activists See Red - Truth About Trade and Technology

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Bt Cotton Catches On In AP, Green Activists See Red

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Thursday, 13 November 2008 19:41

The Hindustan Times (India)
November 9, 2008 NEW DELHI, India - Amidst the piling rubble of a global economic meltdown, cotton farmers in Andhra Pradesh's not-so-rich Warangal district are a happy lot. Or so it seems. Genetically modified cotton seeds have helped some sixty-odd farmers in Sivaji Nagar village of the district to multiply yields, raise income and not spend sleepless nights to ward off swathes of pests that feed and destroy cotton crop.

These farmers, earlier plagued by the bollworm that destroyed their crop, have now been using the Bollgard gene technology (Bt) licensed by Mahyco Monsanto Biotech that prevents them cotton crop from Bollgard attack.

Mahyco Monsanto is a joint venture between Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company and US-based agricultural biotechnology firm Monsanto. The company sells the Bt cotton seeds to local farmers through its 23 licensed Indian seed companies.

Farmers using these seeds said they have been saving about Rs 6000 per acre on pesticides. The average yield has also increased from a measly six quintals to 15 quintals per acre currently.

"We made a profit of Rs 30,000 per acre during the July-August period in 2007 at current market price of Rs 2,850 per quintal," said Mallagani Ramarao, a farmer in the village who sifted to Bt Cotton cultivation last year.

Environmental activists, however, do not agree that Bt Cotton is the panacea for bollworm attacks and higher yields. "Very clearly, the technology does not multiply yield but prevents pest attack. Also, resistance builds up quickly within the first one or two years," said Jai Krishna, sustainable agriculture campaigner at Greenpeace India.

Higher incomes have also enabled these families to move up the social ladder with rising aspirations. "If the yield continues to be good we will send our two sons for engineering and IAS," said Lakshami Subbarao. The farmers said that they want similar technology for other crop such as chilli and turmeric. Approximately four million farmers have adopted Bt cotton seeds.