Farmers’ wait for the next generation of Bt cotton might have got a bit longer because the regulator, Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), in its latest decision has asked its developer, Mahyco, to present a fresh dossier about the hybrid’s claims of efficacy against certain targeted pests and also a new socio-economic analysis of them.
This, industry players said, could further delay the commercialisation of the updated variant of Bt cotton (BG-2 Round Up Ready, or BG-2 RRF), and that too at a time when illegally grown Bt has been flooding the market.
Cotton sowing is expected to start in the country with the onset of the monsoon, largely in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, etc. The GEAC held a meeting last month, and its minutes were made public a few days ago.
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