Gujarat farmers beat Monsanto in Bt cotton

Farmers have produced 30-40 lakh packets of Bt cotton seeds.

The agricultural and cotton experts of Gujarat state claim that Gujarat's cotton farmers have made 30-40 lakh packets of hybrid cotton seeds by cross breeding male traits of Bt cotton with desi cotton female traits.

Meanwhile, as per an estimate the Bt cotton monopoly holder company Monsanto-Mahyco has sold only 10-12 lakh hybrid cotton seeds packets in the state.

The state farmers have cultivated cotton on 24 lakh hactare area and out of that around 60 per cent area is cultivated with hybrid cotton seeds. The agricultural experts are expecting a crop of whooping 110 lakh bales of cotton this year while according to the government estimate the state will produce around 90 to 95 lakh bales of cotton this year.

While talking to Business Standard an agriculture department official said that this year the state has cotton cultivation on 24 lakh hactares of land and out of that some 60 per cent area is cultivated with hybrid cotton seeds. A cotton farmer needs one packet (450 grams) of hybrid cotton seeds per acre.

As per an estimate the monopoly holder of Bt cotton seeds Monsanto -Mahyco and its licensee companies have sold 10-12 lakh cotton seed packets in the state this year.

The rest of the Bt cotton cultivation area is cultivated with the hybrid cotton seeds that the farmers have made on their own by cross breeding male traits of hybrid cotton with local cotton.

Claiming that the seeds were developed not from the second or third generation of Monsanto's Bollguard but from Navbharat 151 and its variants, JV Shah, the ex managing director of Gujarat Seeds Corporation, said, "The farmers have carried out cross breeding between the males of Navbharat 151 and its variants and have produced these seeds. They have to go for this cross breeding because they can not afford the high prices of Monsanto's Bt seeds. One packet of the the company made seeds costs them around Rs. 900 per packet. Last year they have sold it for Rs. 1,400 per 450 gram packet. While the self developed cross breed cotton seeds is much cheaper."

As per the Monsanto-Mahyco company's announced sales figures the company and its licensee companies had sold 22, 577 packets of Bollguard cotton seeds in 2002 Kharif in Gujarat, while in 2003 the sales were 1,04,401 packets, 3,32,404 packets in 2004 and 3,65,392 packets in the year 2005. As per an estimate the company expects to have sold around 10 to 12 lakh Bollguard cotton seeds packets in the current year.

Talking about the other advantage of the self developed cotton seeds Shah, who is presently working as the principal advisor of Navbharat Seeds Pvt. Ltd, said, "State's farmers also know that the crop of company made BT cotton seeds is a long term crop and they can not harvest it before February. In that case they can not take Ravi crop even if they want to. While the crop from the cotton seeds they make is a short term crop. So by the onset of Ravi season their farms are open to take another crop."

Navnharat 151 was banned by the government and a case under the Environment Protection Act was lodged against the company with allegations of harming the farming lands.

The company claims to have already stopped the production some five years ago. The company also claims that the Navbharat 151 brand seeds and now its variants are the most sought after cotton seeds in the state.

Agreeing to that Abhinav Shukla, the general secretary of Ahmedabad Textiles Manufacturers Association (ATMA) said, "The local seeds made by cross breeding is more successful as far as my experience is. These hybrid seeds crossed between BT cotton and local types of cotton males and females traits are more sought after seeds in the state as they suit the local climate and the type of land. Personally I believe that the government should promote and encourage the local companies who can and want to develop and produce their own BT cotton seeds."