‘End commercial release of new Bt cotton seeds’

The Maharashtra government has asked the Centre to reverse its nod for the commercial release of genetically modified (Bt) cotton seeds grown using Bollgard II (BG-2) technology. The State claimed that the seeds lost their ability to fight diseases and reduced crop productivity.

Sadabhau Khot, State Minister for Agriculture and Horticulture, in a letter requested the Union Agriculture Minister to acknowledge the BG-2 seeds as hybrid seeds, which will help bring down their prices.

Maharashtra has around 41 lakh hectares of land under cotton, largely in Vidarbha and Marathawada. Around 98% of seeds used are of the Bt cotton variety. Around 1.65 crore packets of Bt cotton seeds are being used in the kharif season in the State.