Coming apart at the seams: Why is India's cotton dream turning sour?

Since 2002, no new Bt technology has been introduced in India for cotton, which has also spawned a big market for illegally devel­oped Bt that is causing more harm to farmers

A few days back, Atul Ganatra, presid­ent of the Cotton Association of India, presented a grim scenario of the crop’s prospects in the 2024-25 season that starts in October. Addressing the association’s annual general meeting, Ganatra said the area under the crop could go down by at least 10 per cent in the coming season due to falling yields and realisation, leading to farmers losing interest.

The fear of a decline in acreage comes aga­i­nst the backdrop of India’s cotton prod­uction probably falling to its lowest in a decade, accor­ding to estimates. After 2002, cotton output had jumped sharply due to