Bt Cotton vis-à-vis Traditional Cotton Varieties: The Economics and Returns in the State of Maharashtra in India

Breakthroughs in science and technology often produce stunning results such as in the green revolution which swept through much of Asia averting the food crisis. Given the present slowing of agricultural growth and rising commodity prices breakthroughs are once again urgently required and this has put biotechnology at the forefront of a new potential green revolution. One of the frontrunners in this has been development of Bt Cotton which was introduced into India in 2002 amidst much hesitation after its induction in a large number of other countries. Whereas it has been accepted and has spread rapidly in India leading to a substantial growth in cotton production there are conflicting reports about its success and various issues and problems have been raised. In light of this the book examines the performance of Bt Cotton vis-à-vis non-Bt Cotton in the state of Maharashtra which is the largest cotton growing state by area. This is part of a coordinated study undertaken by the authors for the Ministry of Agriculture covering four major cotton states—Andhra Pradesh Gujarat Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu—which together account for about 70 percent of the countrys cotton production. The book examines the adoption experience performance and economics of Bt cotton in Maharashtra. It reports on the advantages disadvantages as well as other observations on Bt cotton as conveyed by the farmers of the state.