Bt cotton technology has been widely accepted by Indian farmers across the country since its first commercialisation in 2002.
In 2005-06, the current cotton season, legally permitted Bt cotton has been planted over 14 lakh hectares in northern, central and southern cotton growing zones as compared to merely 45,000 ha in 2002-03.
The area under official Bt cotton accounts for 15.6% of the 90 lakh ha, which is the total cotton area of the country. There were only three Bt cotton hybrids in 2002.
Against that, nearly 20 Bt cotton hybrids belonging to half a dozen companies have been planted across the country in the current season. In 2005-06, more than 10 lakh small and medium farmers in India enjoyed the benefits of Bt cotton technology.
The significant increase in cotton yield during the last five years is reportedly higher than the cumulative increase in the last five decades.
As a result, cotton production has touched 250 lakh bales (1 bale=170 kg) in the 2005 season, higher than the projected target of 220 lakh bales for the tenth five year plan under the Technology Mission on Cotton (TMC).
Yield, that directly measures the income of poor farmers, has increased from 309 kg/ha in 2001-02 to 460 kg/ha in 2004-05, and is estimated to reach 475 kg/ha in 2005-06.
Bt cotton technology provides new avenues for the Indian textile industry in the post-quota regime of the WTO. The availability of good quality raw cotton on a regular basis was a genuine concern a few years back..
marketing@alchempro.com
