Telangana cotton farmers seek lowering of Bt seed price

Market News

Telangana cotton farmers seek lowering of Bt seed price

Cotton farmers of Telangana want the committee constituted by the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to recommend lower maximum sale price (MSP) of Bt cotton seeds. “They suggested an MSP of Rs 400-600 per packet (of 450 grams). The existing price of the seed is Rs 930,” said P. Sugunakar Rao, farmer representative in the committee and national general secretary of BJP Kisan Morcha.

Speaking after an interaction with leaders of various farmers' association, many of them affiliated to various political parties, here on Saturday Rao said that the farmers were agitated about the Bt 2 cotton seeds not living up to promise of tackling pest attacks. The farmers, he said, had sustained heavy losses because of the bollworm (pest) attack and questioned the pricing policy of the seed producers, which included royalty fees.

Even while refraining from suggesting an ideal MSP, in view of being a member of the committee, he said that the meeting with Telangana farmers, from five districts, is to be followed up in coming days with the cotton farmers of Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. Assuring that he would place the views of farmers before the committee, Rao said that the panel was expected to meet this month-end and decide on the MSP. In doing so, it was also required to take into account the need for the company to have resources to undertake research on producing seeds in tune with Indian climatic conditions.

The committee has been formed, under the provisions of the Cotton Seeds Price (Control) Order, 2015, for recommending the MSP of Bt cotton seed for 2016-17. Figuring in the nine-member committee, chaired by Joint Secretary (Seed) to the Central Department of Agriculture, is the Agriculture Secretary to Telangana Government.