The simmering tension over bt cotton seeds could lead to trouble as only 20 per cent of the present demand is promised to be met in two days even as it has surfaced that there are no buyers for Indian variety cotton seeds. While the retailers said they have stock of Indian variety seeds, the demand is for genetically modified cotton variety seeds, leading to tension.
The peaking demand is attributed to switching to bt cotton away from sunflower and maize in Mysore and Chamarajnagar districts.
A day after the farmers' protest, district minister S A Ramdas on Tuesday raided wholesale and retail dealers and asked the officials to book criminal case in case of hoarding. During the raid, the agriculture officials told him the total area of cultivation of cotton in two districts is expected to be about 30 per cent higher than what it was last season. Nanjangud and Gundulpet taluks, where sunflower and maize were favoured, have switched to cotton and the demand for bt cotton seeds has increased, they told him. The seed dealers said the about 40,000 packets have been sold like hot cakes while the stalemate over the price has halted the next consignment. There is no hoarding and we too are waiting for the bt cotton seeds, they told the minister.
It has now been decided that the seeds will be distributed with the assistance of the agriculture department under police security. The Centre has agreed to increase the price and the stocks from Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra are expected to arrive shortly. Some 20 per cent of the total 1.30 lakh packets (each of 450 grams) required will be made available in two days, Ramdas told reporters. But he sought to shift the blame for the mess to the Centre saying it has to decide on the price but kept it on hold for long. According to him, the retailers have not charged extra from the farmers as charged by the farmers.
Meanwhile, some seed merchants shut down their activities to play safe. A seed merchant said the demand for Indian variety cotton seeds nosedived four years back with the cotton growers switching to bt cotton. May be around one per cent of farmers are using Indian varieties, he told TOI. The farmers are seeking seeds from three companies and the major supplier has not supplied it, he added.
Copyright © 2011 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.
