Grey areas

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. On January 2, the Andhra Pradesh government filed a complaint against Monsanto with the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission. The state agriculture minister, Raghuveera Reddy, says farmers paid Rs 78 crore as royalty to the company to buy Rs 130 crore worth of seeds. Gujarat has followed Andhra Pradesh's example.