Only a small number of companies had licence to produce Bt Cotton seed which needed permission from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Council. “Our enquiries revealed that most of the firms do not have licence to produce the seed and that they are only permitted to co-market the product. Sale of the seed should be allowed only in the packaging of the original seed-producing company to enable the farmers know what they are buying” as quoted by Kiran Vissa of Rythu Swarajya Vedika

The leaders suggested the government to step in and do the needful

Expressing concern over laxity in implementation of regulatory norms on cotton seed sale, leaders of various farmer’s organisations have cautioned the government that it would jeopardise the food producer’s interests

Blaming seed industry, they said it was responsible for illegal Herbicide-Tolerant (HT) GM cotton spread and was resorting to sale of unapproved seed taking advantage of the loopholes. They demanded steps to tighten the regulation and prevent rampant unauthorised sale of seeds by firms under multiple brands

Farmers’s organisations allege loopholes in the system