Nuziveedu to educate ryots in Bt cotton cultivation

Launches Bt versions of Bunny and Mallika hybrids, to hold 'Rytu Sadassus'

Concerned over the bitter experience of cotton growers, Hyderabad-based Nuziveedu Seeds Limited (NSL), plans to provide extensive information to these farmers on procedures of growing the transgenic varieties.

This apart, the company will also hold conventional 'Rytu Sadassus' at important cotton growing centres to bring awareness among the farmers on Bt cotton.

The company, which recently got permission for the commercial release of Bt versions of its two most popular hybrid cotton varieties, Bunny and Mallika, across central and south zones in the country, today launched the products in the Andhra Pradesh market.

Priced a bit higher as compared to its counterparts, the company plans to release about 5 lakh packets of 450 grams each during the current year across the two zones, which include Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu besides Andhra Pradesh.

Of the total quantity, the company will make available about 1.2 to 1.5 lakh packets of both the varieties for the Andhra farmers, though the projected demand would be almost 3 lakh packets, according to Mandava Prabhakar Rao, managing director, NSL.

Addressing a media conference on the commercial launch of its first Bt cotton varieties, Prabhakar Rao said that the agro-economic study estimated a cost-benefit of about Rs 30,000 per hectare to the farmers on account of both Bt Bunny and Bt Mallika.

"The farming community believe that Bt technology itself will increase yield levels and also work as a deterrent to all pests and diseases which are not true. Moreover, cultivation of these varieties involves special methods like using at least 50 per cent more manure and fertilisers," he said.

To make the farmers understand on how to go about cultivation, the company will provide a booklet with each packet of seed.

"The company also wants to monitor and advise farmers who grow its Bt varieties in order to get the right results," he said. Rao advised against sowing Bt varieties in non-black soils.

"Both the hybrids have been in circulation for the last 5-6 years and have become very popular for their quality and yield levels among both the farmers and traders. Bt technology will add to the original potential of the carriers in terms of protecting the crop from Bollworms thereby reducing the risk of crop damage and the usage of pesticides," Rao said.

The two Bt versions are priced at Rs 1,818 per packet, which include Rs 1,250 to be paid to Monsanto, the owner of Bt technology, towards royalty.

The NSL's cotton hybrid seeds occupy nearly 40 per cent of the private hybrid cotton seed market in the country. Nuziveedu Seeds has an annual turnover of Rs 250 crore. It also produces other crop seed such as maize, jowar, sunflower, rice and vegetables.