1.Most farmers who committed suicide were Bt cotton growers
2.Monsanto faces royalty heat

EXCERPT: Among the 182 suicides in Western Vidarbha, 170 were by Bt cotton growers... (item 1)
---

1.Most farmers who committed suicide were Bt cotton growers: VJAS
Yavatmal Maharashtra
Webindia123, IndiaJanuary 02, 2006
http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=207428&n_date=20060102&cat=India

The Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) has alleged that 170 cotton growers from Western Vidarbha, who had opted to sow Bt cotton of a US-based seeds company, had committed suicide during the period from June to December last year.

As many as 212 farmers in Vidarbha had committed suicide during the period of whom 182 were from Western Vidarbha, VJAS president Kishore Tiwari said in a statement here today. Among the 182 suicides in Western Vidarbha, 170 were by Bt cotton growers, the statement alleged.

Over six lakh farmers from Vidarbha had sown Bt cotton on the assurance that the minimum yield would be 20 quintals per acre, the statement said. However, the average yield per acre was only two to three quintals per acre, the statement alleged.

The VJAS proposes to initiate legal action against the US-based seeds company demanding compensation for farmers who had been ''misled by false assurances'', the statement said.
---

2.Monsanto faces royalty heat
The Telegraph, Jan 1 2005
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060102/asp/business/story_5670810.asp

Hyderabad, Jan. 1: The Andhra Pradesh government plans to take Mahyco-Monsanto Biotechnology Company to the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission (MRTPC) for the discriminatory royalties collected by it for BT cotton, state agriculture minister N. Raghuveera Reddy said on Wednesday.

The minister said the global seed company had been forcibly collecting a royalty of Rs 1,250 per packet of 450 grams of BT cotton seeds, for which the farmers have to shell out Rs 1,850. This has resulted in a significant increase in the cost of production.

The state government plans to file a case before the commission on January 2 seeking its intervention to reduce the royalty collected in India by Monsanto.

The case will be filed against Monsanto and four other Indian seed companies, which sold BT cotton seeds under manufacturing license in the country. These companies include Mahyco Ltd, Pro-Agro, Nuzibveedu Seeds, and Rasi Seeds.

"The company is compelling cotton farmers at gun point to pay the extra amount, even as it collected lesser and variable royalties in other countries," Reddy said.

He said Monsanto was banned from selling its products directly in Andhra Pradesh since 2004 after it failed to compensate the state farmers for loss of the BT cotton crop. The minister said BT cotton was grown in 5.85 lakh acres in five districts of the state.

Go to a Print friendly Page

Email this Article to a Friend

Back to the Archive