By Alok Deshpande – The Hindu, 15 December 2016

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Source: http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/Monsanto-to-no-longer-develop-cotton-seeds-in-State/article16807450.ece

The Maharashtra government on Wednesday announced that it would not allow multinational seed giant Monsanto to develop cotton seed varieties in the State henceforth. Instead, four agricultural universities and the Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR) will do the work.

State Agriculture Minister Pandurang Fundkar, while replying to a calling attention motion raised by Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MLA Amarsinh Pandit, said the decision was taken after it was revealed that enlisting the company’s assistance had been financially disastrous for farmers.

According to the data presented by Mr. Fundkar, Maharashtra has over 38 lakh hectare of land under cotton, 98 per cent of which has been under Bt Cotton since 2002. As per the Maharashtra Cotton Seeds Act, 2009, the State government periodically controls seed prices. On June 8, 2015, a notification was issued where packets of BgI type were priced at Rs. 730 and BgII at Rs. 830.

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NEWS TAG: BT COTTON



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