Krishi VaartaThe Economic Times
Government slashes Bt Cotton seed price to Rs 740 per packet
The government slashed Bt cotton seed prices, including trait value or tech fees to support distressed farmers hit by frequent pink bollworm pest attacks and crop losses. The move was criticised by Monsanto’s India unit and seed associations but hailed by farmers.
The price of Bollgard II has been cut by 7.5% to Rs 740 per packet of 450 grams each. This includes a reduction in trait value, from Rs 49 to Rs 39, which seed companies pay to the technology provider--Monsanto Mahyco Biotech (India). The price of the Bollgard I seed has been left unchanged at Rs 635 with no trait value charged for it. Farmers will start planting cotton in June during the kharif season.
Cotton seed associations, which have been asking the government to increase seed prices, say they will not be able to sustain their businesses and supplies might be hit this year.
India is the world’s biggest cotton producer with 8 million farmers buying 50 million seed packets of 450 gm each annually to plant on 12.26 million hectares of land.
“In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-clause (1) of clause 5 of the Cotton Seed Price (Control) Order, 2015, the central government, after consultation with the committee referred to in sub-clause (2) of the said clause to recommend the maximum sale price of cotton seed, hereby declares the maximum sale price of Bt Cotton seed packets (450 grams of Bt Cotton seed plus 120 grams refugia) for the financial year 2018-19 for the whole of India,” said the Ministry of Agriculture notification.
Source - The Economic Times 13 March 18
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