The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has accused the Union government of undermining public agricultural research and favouring private seed companies in the cotton sector, alleging that existing policies have imposed a significant financial burden on farmers while delaying access to publicly developed Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) cotton varieties which are genetically modified seeds designed to resist certain pests.
In a press release issued on 20 April 2026, AIKS claimed that private seed companies have cumulatively extracted around ₹35,000 crore from cotton farmers since the introduction of Bt cotton in India in 2002. It said the current cotton seed market, valued at about ₹7,500 crore and projected to grow further, is largely dominated by private players, with farmers effectively paying what it described as a recurring 'seed tax' due to the need to purchase hybrid seeds every season.
The organisation noted that the price of Bt cotton seeds has increased in recent years, with BG-II seeds priced at ₹901/packet for the 2025–26 season, reflecting an 18.5% increase over four years. It also alleged that seeds costing ₹500–₹550/kg to produce are being sold at around ₹2,000/kg, contributing to rising cultivation costs.
AIKS linked these issues to a broader decline in the cotton economy, pointing to falling production, stagnant yields and rising input costs. It said cotton production has declined from 370 lakh bales in 2017–18 to around 294–295 lakh bales in 2024–25, while productivity has dropped from about 500kg/hectare to around 441–465kg/hectare in recent years—well below the global average of 769kg/ hectare.
A separate memorandum submitted by AIKS to Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan describes the cotton sector as facing an 'unprecedented crisis', citing shrinking cultivation area, declining yields and falling farmgate prices. It notes that cotton prices, which had touched about ₹12,000/quintal in 2021, have since declined to around ₹6,500–₹7,000/quintal, often below the minimum support price (MSP), further squeezing farmer incomes.
The organisation also pointed to rising input costs, including higher seed prices and pesticide use, particularly due to pest resistance such as the pink bollworm. It said this has created a cycle of higher costs and lower returns for farmers, exacerbating financial distress in cotton-growing regions.
AIKS argued that publicly developed 'straight' (non-hybrid) Bt cotton varieties offer a viable alternative, as they allow farmers to save and reuse seeds for two to three seasons without significant loss of yield. It highlighted that institutions such as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s Central Institute for Cotton Research and state agricultural universities have already developed such varieties, including recent BG-II straight varieties from Vasantrao Naik Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth and new varieties under development at Punjab Agricultural University.
However, AIKS alleged that these varieties have not reached farmers due to regulatory delays and lack of policy support. It also drew comparisons with countries such as Pakistan and China, where public sector Bt cotton varieties have been widely adopted, allowing farmers to reuse seeds and reduce costs.
In its memorandum, AIKS has made a series of specific demands to the government. These include the immediate launch of a 'mission mode' programme for large-scale multiplication and distribution of all approved public sector Bt cotton varieties, with a target of covering at least one million hectares in the upcoming kharif season. It has also sought directions to agencies such as the National Seeds Corporation, state seed corporations and Krishi Vigyan Kendras to prioritise procurement, demonstration and distribution of these varieties to farmers.
The organisation has further demanded that public sector Bt cotton varieties be declared a 'public good' and made available at no more than ₹200 per kg, with the government bearing production and distribution costs. It has also called for regulatory reforms, including a shift to a gene-based approval system to fast-track new varieties containing already-approved genetic traits, instead of requiring fresh approvals for each variety.
Additionally, AIKS has proposed the creation of a dedicated “Public Cotton Mission” with an initial outlay of ₹1,000 crore to support research, development and large-scale production of farmer-saved Bt cotton varieties across different agro-climatic zones.
AIKS said that these measures are necessary to reduce farmers’ dependence on expensive private hybrids, lower input costs and improve productivity, arguing that the technology for such a transition is already available but requires policy support and faster implementation.
The government has not yet responded to the allegations and demands made by AIKS.
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