Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Learn from China

Sir, — The Department of Bio-technology has indicated that Bt cotton is safe but because of objections from NGOs, the Government has declined permission for its commercial use and ordered fresh trials. I am surprised that our scientists have not taken note of things happening elsewhere.

In China, Bt Cotton has been on sale since 1997. Some two million Chinese farmers now grow it.

Their production cost has dropped by 28 per cent. Bt Cotton carries a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), that produces a toxin which provides protection against the deadly bollworm.

In China, the use of toxic organophosphates has gone down by 80 per cent and pesticide poisoning has decreased.

In India, almost 40 per cent of the pesticide use is aimed at controlling bollworm. We account for more than 15 per cent of the world's cotton supply and should therefore change over to Bt cotton to reduce the use of pesticides, cost of production and to increase the yield per acre.

N. Krishna,
Hyderabad

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