Box: Bt Cotton in Andhra Pradesh - a three year assessment
(This box is taken from the following Seedling article)
In 2002, shortly after the start of commercial growing of Bt cotton in Andhra Pradesh, the Deccan Development Society (DDS) and the AP Coalition in Defence of Diversity (APCDD) began their research on Bt Cotton in Andhra Pradesh with a particular focus on the cotton district of Warangal. In their words, “we had no idea what we were walking into”. Amongst the hype surrounding Bt cotton as a panacea for farmers and the environment, two scientists Dr Abdul Qayum, and Mr Kiran Sakkhari went about the job of unravelling the agro-socio-economic mystery of Bt cotton.
The scientists selected “a transparent and open methodology”, being close to the farmers and gathering information from them on a regular fortnightly basis. Their data collectors were village based grassroots researchers with a deep understanding of agriculture. No other research group on Bt cotton in India had done season-long studies, and a job as thorough as this. Most groups came once a while after hearing of the cotton disaster, collected data at that point of time and went back. No one stayed continuously with farmers and farming communities to record their changing perceptions about Bt cotton. This makes the present study a unique one.
After three years of study, the truth is out. Here is a summary of what Mahyco-Monsanto Bt hybrids have brought to Andhra Pradesh:
• Low yield - Non- Bt has, on an average, surpassed Bt in terms of yield by nearly 8% with 12% less expense.
• No reduction in pesticide use - In reality, the volume of pesticide use by both Bt farmers and Non-Bt farmers was so little that it was untraceable (2% of their total cultivation costs).
• Disastrous losses for farmers - The three year average tells us that the non-Bt farmers earned 60% more than Bt farmers. In place of profit, Bt cotton, especially the Mahyco-Monsanto varieties, brought untold misery to farmers culminating in violent street protests and the burning of seed outlets in the city of Warangal. Farmers tied up Mahyco-Monsanto representatives in their villages and the police had to go and rescue the hapless salesmen.
• Increased cost of cultivation - On average, Bt farmers incurred 12% more costs in cultivating their Bt crops compared to non-Bt cotton farmers.
• Increased spread of disease - Researchers found that a special kind of root rot was being spread by Bt cotton. Farmers came out with complaints that they were not able to grow other crops after Bt because it had infected their soil very badly. As against this, the soil in which the farmers grew non-Bt hybrids was extremely friendly to other crops.
What is most disturbing is that Mahyco-Monsanto continue to insist that yields of Bt cotton in Andhra Pradesh are up. Mahyco-Monsanto commissioned a study to a market research agency, and with its devious manipulation of data claimed that Andhra Pradesh farmers had seen a five-fold increase in yield compared to non-Bt yields. This is direct contradiction to the evidence amassed by DDS and APCDD and shown in farmers’ interviews (see below of details of the film).
UPDATE:
Since the publication of the report, the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC) has rejected the growing of all three Monsanto varieties of Bt cotton in Andhra Pradesh due to their failure, as described in this box. Furthermore one hybrid Bt cotton (Mech-12 Bt) has been banned throughout South India. The main worry is that old stocks of Bt cotton (estimated to be a minimum of 300,000 bags) will continue to be sold in Andhra Pradesh. Farmers’ organisations and NGOs have all called for these stocks to be destroyed
NOTES:
The study Bt Cotton in Andhra Pradesh: a three year assessment provides the data and details on the three year study. To complement the report, an associated film Bt Cotton in AP; a three year fraud, brilliantly captures the mood and feelings of the farmers as they are led up the garden path by the false promises of a ruthless industry. Both these are historic documents in analysing the impact of Bt cotton in India. The first film is also available in French.
To obtain a copy of the film or a copy of the report (attached to this page), please contact:
Deccan Development Society
101, Kishan Residency,
Street No. 5,
Begumpet, Hyderabad - 500 016
Andhra Pradesh,
India
E-mail: hyd1_ddshyd(at)sancharnet.in
Telephone: +91-40-27764577 or +91-40-27764744
(The text in this box is extracted from the report.)