Plans afoot to legalise HtBt to double cotton production

IN a major agricultural reform aimed at doubling cotton production in the country, the government is planning to legalise the controversial herbicide-tolerant (Ht) Bt cotton (HtBt cotton).

- JITENDRA CHOUBEY @ New Delhi

The expert committee on HtBt cotton seeds has given a positive recommendation for its commercial cultivation to the top biosafety regulatory body, the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC), after analysing three years of biosafety data.

Environmentalists are concerned that the approval may lead to farmers indiscriminately spraying Glyphosate, a controversial herbicide used to eliminate weeds without harming cotton crops. This practice raises concerns about potential negative impacts on the environment and other crops grown in nearby fields.