BANGALORE: Despite controversies and misgivings about Bt cotton, a large number of farmers have been switching over to the hybrid variety in several districts on account of high profit and aggressive marketing by private companies.

The area under cultivation of Bt cotton has increased manifold in the last two years and it now comprises about 25 per cent of the area under cotton.

Many farmers of Haveri, Gulbarga, Raichur, Shimoga, Mysore, Bagalkot and Belgaum districts have switched over to Bt cotton, which is supposed to be disease-resistant, on the ground that it ensures high yield and more profit.

The area under Bt cotton increased from 30,000 hectares in 2005 to 1.20 lakh hectares in 2006.

In Haveri district alone, farmers cultivated hybrid cotton on 75,000 hectares. The total area under cotton crop in the State is about four lakh hectares, according to officials of the Department of Agriculture.

Rising costs of cultivation, ineffective pesticides, adulterated seeds, and other inputs have led to frequent crop failures.

The farmers in the State are willing to cultivate Bt cotton to reduce the pest damage and cost of production.

In Bt cotton, there is a significant reduction in the number of sprays that are applied and the cost of pesticides.

The cost per hectare has been reduced by 21 per cent, according to officials.

The average Bt cotton yield is 2,755 kg per hectare against 1,856 kg in non-hybrid.

It is estimated that Bt cotton yield is 30 per cent higher while the pesticides cost is less by 23 per cent. However, the seed cost is up by 16 per cent.

Since the crop is disease-resistant, a farmer can earn at least Rs. 10,000 more a hectare by cultivating Bt cotton compared to local varieties. The Centre has launched an Integrated Pest Management Programme to educate farmers about benefits of Bt cotton.

According to a study (2006) conducted by IIM, Ahmedabad, the country loses about Euro 300 million per year to the bollworm, besides the annual cost of pesticides application of over Euro 350 million. Aggressive advertisement and marketing of Bt cotton seeds by multinational companies led to more land coming under Bt cotton.

Major seed companies such as Mahyo, Bangalore; Rasi Seeds Limited, Dharwad; Nuziveedu Seeds Limited, Bangalore, and Ganga Cauvery Seeds, Hyderabad, are involved in convincing the farmers about benefits of Bt cotton.

Several firms have set up their outlets in Davangere, Hubli, Dharwad and Belgaum.

The State Government has fixed the price of Bt cotton seed at Rs. 750 per packet of 450 gm as against the Monsanto Biotech-India Limited's price of Rs. 1,450 for the same quantity of seed.

However, the company has moved the Supreme Court against a Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC) order on reducing the price for a packet of 450 gm.

Now, the company is looking for an out-of-court settlement, officials say.

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