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New Delhi, May 21 (PTI) The requirement of Bt cotton seeds may go up by seven per cent to 3.2 crore packets of 450 grams each in the ensuing kharif season, as area under the crop is likely to rise, the National Seed Association of India (NSAI) said today.
"The requirement of Bt cotton seeds may go up to 3.2 crore packets this year, up from 3 crore packets last year,"NSAI General Secretary Harish Reddy told reporters here.
According to the Cotton Corporation of India, acreage under cotton cultivation in the country, the second largest producer in the world, is likely to go up by 5-8 per cent this year to around 11 million hectares from 10.17 million hectares in 2009.
NSAI member Paresh Verma said there would be no dearth of seeds this year, with the carry over of around one crore packets from last year, but the demand for preferred brands may fall short, as seed-makers were unable to produce the desired amount on account of the move by various state governments to control the price.
"Gujarat, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh control the prices of Bt cotton seeds. This will lead to huge seed shortages and capacity utilisation constraints,"he said.
The Andhra Pradesh government had fixed the price of BG-I variety cotton seeds at Rs 650 for a 450-gram packet and BG-II at Rs 750.
The demand for cotton seed would be highest in Maharashtra, at 1.3 crore packets, followed by 50 lakh packets in Gujarat. The Northern region would require 50 lakh packets too, among other areas, Verma said.
Cotton cultivation has already started in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan, but the same is likely to start in other parts of the country once the monsoon sets in.
India produced 295 lakh bales of cotton last year, out of which 229 lakh bales were consumed within the country and the remaining were exported. One bale weighs 170 kg.
The government had banned the export of cotton last month in order to ensure steady supply to the domestic textile industry
11 June, 2010 by admin