Firms to follow govt order on Bt cotton

Several local seed companies have decided to follow the state government's order on Bt cotton seed price in the wake of Mahyco Monsanto Biotech(India) Limited failure to get a stay on these orders.

However, many of them are trying to adopt the wait and watch approach as Supreme Court has posted the hearing to the first week of next month.

"We have no other option but to follow the orders of the state government. But we have clearly said in our consent letters given to the state agriculture commissioner that the government should take responsibility for any issues arising out of their compliance," an industry representative told Business Standard.

Going by the clarification of MMBL that the trait value will remain Rs 900 per 450 gram Bt cotton seed irrespective of what the state government wants, the seed companies may have to face trouble if the transgenic technology owner claims the same amount of trait value for the Bt cotton to be sold at the reduced price.

Though instructions have been issued to companies to sell the seed at Rs 750 a packet, sales have not yet begun in cotton growing districts, according to reports reaching here.

Meanwhile, the state agriculture ministry representatives released a letter written by Haryana's agriculture minister Harmohinder Singh Chatha in support of the state government's stand on Bt cotton seed.