Farmers’ wait for the next generation of Bt cotton might have got a bit longer because the regulator, Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), in its latest decision has asked its developer, Mahyco, to present a fresh dossier about the hybrid’s claims of efficacy against certain targeted pests and also a new socio-economic analysis of them.
This, industry players said, could further delay the commercialisation of the updated variant of Bt cotton (BG-2 Round Up Ready, or BG-2 RRF), and that too at a time when illegally grown Bt has been flooding the market.
Cotton sowing is expected to start in