GOVERNMENT SHOULD ALLOW CULTIVATION OF HTBT COTTON, FARMERS NEED TECHNOLOGY: SEED BODIES

Seed industry bodies FSII and NSAI on Wednesday demanded that the government allow commercial cultivation of herbicide-tolerant Bt (HTBt) cotton at the earliest, as the crop variety is being grown illegally in some parts of the country, creating a Rs 1,500 crore informal seed market.

The Federation of Seed Industry of India (FSII) and the National Seed Association of India (NSAI) stressed the need to introduce high-yielding varieties and new technologies to boost domestic cotton production and reduce imports. India's cotton production stands at around 29 million bales (of 170 kg each).

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