Following the Delhi High Court’s rejection of Monsanto’s patent rights in April, the sale of illegal or unapproved
Around 6 million packets of unapproved herbicide-resistant (HT) cotton seeds will reportedly be sold ahead of the 2018 kharif season, up from 3.5 million last year, according to Livemint. Most of these seeds are said to be manufactured in Gujarat, and are sold in the state, and also transported to Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
The rise in the sale of
The taskforce has been deliberating on the problem of the sale and cultivation of illegal seeds, since its inception in October 2017. Its draft recommendations include the raiding of the offices of companies that stockpile these illegal seeds as well as a ban on the sale of glyphosate - a herbicide that is used in tandem with HT cotton seeds.
A need to keep farmers happy?
Despite being well above the price of approved
However, given that these seeds are illegal, which makes their quality questionable, farmers aren’t offered any protection or guarantees in the event that they fail. This makes it even more urgent for the Indian government to crack down on the sales of illegal seeds, for state government will likely be left too foot the bill if these farmers’ cotton harvests prove to be underwhelming.
By the time that the FISEC report is completed, the sales cycle for the kharif season will likely be over. Looking ahead to 2019, the Indian government can crack down on the sale of illegal seeds but it will need to incentivise seed producers to sell new variants and subsequently fast-track the approvals of these seeds. Otherwise, history will repeat itself again next year.