Beyond Bt cotton

It is ten years now since Bt cotton was first grown commercially on Indian farms. In hindsight, it couldn't have come at a better time, as production of kapas (seed-cotton) was floundering below 14 million bales and the crop, being prone to repeated bollworm pest attacks, had clearly lost its lustre among farmers. Since 2002, the country's output has gone up two-and-half times to over 35 million bales this year, which has been brought about by higher acreages (from under 8 million to nearly 12 million hectares) and also a jump in yields (from an average 300 kg of lint to about 500 kg per hectare). Given the way the textile industry has grown over this period, the role that increased domestic cotton production has played in meeting the sheer demand for the natural fibre should be obvious to anyone.

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