More facts, more doubts
More facts, more doubts
the more one reads about Bt cotton in India, the more confusing the issue gets. The latest in a series of claims and counterclaims is a survey of Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (mmb), which till recently was the only company that could sell genetically modified (gm) seeds in India. The survey “underscores the benefits of Bollgard cotton” (also called Bt cotton).
The survey was carried out by the Mumbai-based marketing research and information company ac Nielson org-marg for the 2003-04 season. It covered 3,063 farmers in five states (Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh). “For us, it has been an enlightening experience to see, at first hand, the difference that Bollgard has made in the life of India’s cotton farmer,” gushes Rajiv Inamdar of ac Nielson org-marg in a press release. Among other things, the survey reports that the Bollgard cotton lint fetched higher prices in the commodities market