A few lakh bales of imports, even if they continue for a long time, should not be a major concern because the percentage of imports to total demand of raw cotton has been consistently low at around 2 per cent only.
Will the import duty structure go down or up in the future?
Bt cotton seeds sold in India are priced in the range of Rs 1,750-1,850 per 450 gramme packet, while the normal hybrid costs Rs 300-500 and illegal Bt is sold at Rs 450-900. The higher pricing of legally approved Bt seeds is due to the royalty of Rs 1,200 which is paid to Monsanto.
Water is a big concern. Growing cotton is water-intensive at the best of times as is manufacturing textiles and treating the waste generated. In India, cotton guzzles more water than anywhere in the world
"Kidney Sale Centre," proclaims a banner sprawled across a ramshackle bamboo tent at Shingnapur village in Amravati district of Maharashtra. The farmers here are threatening to sell their kidneys. "We have invited the Prime Minister and the President to inaugurate this kidney shop. They should allow us to sell our kidneys. We are all ruined by debt. Many farmers are killing themselves.
"WHY else do you think people who barely get enough to eat, who don't even earn Rs.50 a day, have borrowed money to come for this rally?" asked D.P. Vishe, a farmer from Shahpur in Thane district, Maharashtra. "Because this is the only hope we have left. To come together and fight the injustices against farmers."
Though there is a great deal of variability in the expected performance of Bt cotton depending on the environment, the regulation and marketing of the hybrids reflects a uniformity of approach that is inexplicable. Academic studies continue to talk of the importance of studying toxicity and monitoring resistance build-up even as initial resistance management plans at the farm level fail.
