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Farmers hit by Bt cotton seeds, says Madhya Pradesh Opposition

Staff Correspondent

`Bt-resistant pests posing challenge to farmers who have suffered crop failure'

BHOPAL: The issue of massive losses suffered by farmers due to Bt cotton seeds was raised in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday. It was alleged, through a calling attention notice moved by Opposition MLAs Govind Singh, Arif Aqueel and Sunilam, that the farmers of the Malwa-Nimad area of western Madhya Pradesh had been misled by Monsento and Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (MAHYCO) and suffered huge losses by using the Bt cotton seeds.

It was their contention that Bt-resistant cotton pests were posing a serious challenge to farmers who have suffered massive crop failure and a scenario has been created where the farmers were unable to strike a balance between the cost of production on the one side and the quality and volume of output on the other.

The price offered for cotton at the Mandis has come down from over Rs. 4300 to 2500 per quintal and the farmers were now at the losing end, it was emphasized.

Replying to it, the State Minister for Agriculture, Chaudhary Chandrabhan Singh, said that the Bt cotton seeds were being used with the approval of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee set up the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest.

It is only following the approval granted by the Government of India that the State Government had cleared the sale of hybrid Bt cotton seeds for the year 2005-06.

At present, Bt cotton seeds were being used for commercial farming in over 1.34 lakh hectares of land in 12 districts, he informed the House.

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Farmers hit by Bt cotton seeds, says Madhya Pradesh Opposition

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