The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has declared the maximum sale price of BG-II version of hybrid cotton seed during 2018-19 financial year as ₹740 per packet of 450 grams. It has been sold for ₹800 so far.
The decision to reduce the price has been taken based on the recommendation of a high-level committee that met in New Delhi on March 5.
Notifying the price revision in the gazette on Monday, Joint Secretary in the Ministry Ashwani Kumar stated that the Centre had taken the decision as per Cotton Seed Price (Control) Order 2015.
Accordingly, the maximum sale price of BG-II Bt hybrid cotton seed packet, which includes 450 grams of Bt cotton seed and 120 grams refugia.
The price has been revised by reducing the trait value (royalty paid to the company) to ₹39 per packet from ₹49 earlier. According to Director of Telangana State Seed and Organic Certification Authority (TSSOCA) K. Keshavulu, who was in the committee along with officials from Gujarat and Maharashtra and few other members from other bodies, some of the members had requested the price to be fixed below ₹725 per packet, however, the committee had recommended ₹740.
