At last the Bt cotton growers have the reason to be happy.
The Government is contemplating not to ban the genetically modified Bt Cotton crops.
This declaration by Minister of State for Agriculture provided major relief to the Bt Cotton farmers, who are permitted to grow the transgenic crop on a profit-making basis.
The Minister accepted that after the approval of the cultivation of Bt Cotton in 2002, its farming had been expanding on a continuous basis in the country. The cultivation area was 12.13 lakh acres in 2004 which increased by 154 percent to 30.84 lakh acres in 2005.
The major cotton producing states of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are benefitted by this increase of Bt cotton acreage.
Maharashtra, which was witnessing continuous farmer suicides in the Vidarbha region, seen maximum growth in Bt cotton producing area, which increased by almost 206 percent to 12.20 lakh acres from 3.99 lakh acres.
marketing@alchempro.com
