Case against Monsanto: Andhra seeks PM's support

The Andhra Pradesh government today sought the support of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the legal course initiated against Monsanto company for collecting exorbitant trait value from farmers.

In a letter addressed to the prime minister, chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy apprised the prime minister of how local seed companies that sourced the transgenic Bt technology from the American multinational was collecting Rs 1,250 towards the trait value on every 450 grams of Bt cotton seeds as compared to just Rs 108 in the US and Rs 34 in China.

He also pointed out that the cost of seed being paid by the seed companies to the seed producers is Rs 200 to Rs 250 for 750 grams of seed whereas the companies are selling 450 grams of seed at Rs 1,850 to the cotton growers.

While justifying the government's action to approach the MRTP commission with a request to direct the company to refix the trait value at 1/3 of bare seed cost, Reddy said that his government took legal course in this regard only after exhausting all other options.

---

CM's Appeal

Reddy apprised the prime minister of how local seed companies that sourced the transgenic Bt technology from the American multinational was collecting Rs 1,250 towards the trait value on every 450 grams of Bt cotton seeds