Cotton farmers have earned an additional income of Rs 7,039 crore [1.27 bill EUR / 1.75 bill USD] in 2006 after a 50% increase in yield due to use of Bt cotton seed, a study conducted jointly by the Associated Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Assocham) and IMRB International has revealed. [...] Another study conducted by Assocham in collaboration with Indicus Analytics found are under Bt cotton increased to over 8 million acres with 2 million farmers cultivating it.

I will not grow cotton anymore. I have two children to feed, and I just can’t risk losses on my farm,” says Manorama Santosh Ahir of Naygaon village, Buldhana district. ”I will plant jowar (the staple millet in the region) and tur. Cotton costs too much. One needs seeds, labour, pesticides and fertilisers, it’s an expensive proposition. And it requires so much attention.”

Notwithstanding the controversies dogging it, Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech Limited is expecting 30 to 40 per cent growth in demand for its flagship Bt cotton (Bollgard I and II hybrids) this kharif. [...] Referring to the sheep and goat mortality in Adilabad and Warangal, Mr. Ketkar and R. K. Sinha, Executive Director, All India Crop Biotechnology Association dismissed it as ”localised phenomenon”. In its ten years of global Bt cotton experience, there has not been a single instance of harm to an animal that grazed on Bt plant material.

Emboldened by the good response to its Bt cotton seeds from farmers and with the government approving five more of its hybrids, JK Agri Genetics aims to nearly triple its market share to eight per cent in this kharif season. ”Our target is to have a market share of 7-8 per cent in Bt cotton seeds,” JK Agri Genetics President P S Dravid said. The current share of the company in the Bt cotton seed, dominated by multinational giant Monsanto and its associates, is around three per cent, Dravid said, adding JK Agri Genetics entered the market only last year.

Emboldened by the good response to its Bt cotton seeds from farmers and with the government approving five more of its hybrids, JK Agri Genetics aims to nearly triple its market share to eight per cent in this kharif season. ”Our target is to have a market share of 7-8 per cent in Bt cotton seeds,” JK Agri Genetics President P S Dravid said. The current share of the company in the Bt cotton seed, dominated by multinational giant Monsanto and its associates, is around three per cent, Dravid said, adding JK Agri Genetics entered the market only last year.

Field trials of a genetically modified disease-resistant rice plant developed in the Madurai Kamaraj University laboratory and conducted at three locations in the State have given encouraging results in the first phase. [...] The tests, held at Coimbatore, Aaaduthurai and Ambasamudram, showed that the transgenic plants developed resistance for ’Sheath Blight’ disease, common in paddy crop in the southern India. [...] Around 1,000 seeds of genetically modified rice plants were given to the TNAU for trials and it was found that the loss of yield due to ’Sheath Blight’ disease could be prevented.

The Orissa government will not allow Bt Brinjal inside the state because it fears that the genetically modified crop may endanger the bio-safety of native farm products. ”We are not for any genetically modified (GM) crop, let alone Bt Brinjal. There is no credible scientific study to stand by the GM crops. Nor are there reports from any where in the country about farmers welcoming it,” agriculture minister Surendra Nath Nayak said. ”On the contrary, public protests against GM crops are galore,” he added.

Monsanto offered incentive to its seed growers for the second consecutive year for producing cottonseed without involving child labour. Collector M. Dana Kishore, Manufacturing Lead South and North Asia of Monsanto, Ravinder Reddy, and representatives of NGOs attended and disbursed an amount of Rs 1.4 crore to some 4,000 farmers at the rate of Rs 15 a kg over the contracted seed price at a function in Nandyal on Tuesday.

In the 1960s, India produced only about 10 million metric tonnes of wheat annually, and crop failures created massive food shortages that required emergency shipments of grain to prevent widespread famine. Today, India produces over 70 million metric tonnes of wheat. This is due in large part to the success of the Green Revolution, based on new genetic improvements of crops combined with efficient use of crop production inputs. However, food security remains a global challenge today and famine still threatens several parts of the globe. [...] Often called the Gene Revolution, advances in biotechnology are having dramatic impacts on global agricultural production.

[...] the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) - which is the apex regulatory body for looking into GM crop research and development in the country – brought in a new condition (in its meeting on 13/12/2006) for any GM crop field trials to be conducted in India from this year onwards. As per this, Panchayats have to give prior permission for such a trial to take place in their jurisdiction before the GEAC considers any application. This is also in conformity with the constitutional rights bestowed on Panchayats with regard to their natural resources. Panchayats have to make good use of this authority that they enjoy now.