According to Mr. Tariq Anwar, Indian Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Industries, 90% of cotton cultivation acres in the last decade were under Bt cotton.
Recently, the minister emphasized that due to Bt cotton, India’s cotton production has benefited and that, there is no scientific evidence to show that Bt cotton cultivation has adversely impacted the ecology and human/cattle health.
According to the information given by Mr. Anwar to the Lower Assembly of the Parliament (Lok Sabha) recently, the cotton yield has increased by 30% due to the introduction of Bt cotton.
Bt cotton and hybrid seed technologies have played important roles in enhancing the yield and production of cotton in India.
Government of India estimates that cotton sowings during this Kharif season (summer sowing season starting in July) is about 11.093 million hectares.
On August 22nd, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee of India has approved experimental field trials for the purpose of generating biosafety data for genetically modified crops such as cotton.
Seshadri Ramkumar
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