Bt Cotton Promotion and Maharashtra Government

Warnings aside, more Bt cotton seeds arrive farm woes - DNA Reports
Experts warn of impending disaster if monsoons fail " We don't know yet if these varieties will suit the agro-cli- matic and soil condi- tions. Releasing the second generation Bt for commercial use is surely disastrous." - A scientist - Jaideep Hardikar, Nagpur

Beleaguered cotton farmers in Vidarbha are staring at another disaster in the ensuing sowing season. Almost the entire belt would be cultivating Bt cotton, which have not yielded encouraging results in the past in the rain-fed region.
While cotton prices are crashing every year, a total shift to genetic cotton will spiral production cost phenomenally, leading to heavy losses, farm activists say An . estimate suggests that over 30 lakh packets of Bt cottonseeds would be sold this season, enough to cover well over ten lakh hectare farms in the region.

That's a rise of more than double in the acreage over the last year. A disaster of unforeseen and unmanageable proportions is on the cards, if there is any fluctuation in the arrival of monsoon, fears Kishor Tiwari of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti. "The government is selling a new disaster to the struggling farmers."
Interestingly, the Maharashtra Agri culture Minister, Balasaheb Thorat, recently admitted that Bt had failed in Vidarbha and cautioned farmers not to sow it.

Also, the state government has paid about Rs 400 crore to farmers in the last four years as compensation due to the failure of Bt cotton. Farm activists point out the government-run Mahabeej seeds corporation is marketing Bt cottonseeds to inputs dealers, while the minister advises caution.
Yet, what's concerning the activists is the permission granted to nearly 53 new genotypes of Bt cotton by the Genetic Engineer ing Approval Committee (GEAC). As many 35 of those varieties would be introduced in the central parts of India.
Over 60 Bt varieties are already in the market here and more will arrive soon. And there's hardly any study on the performance of new genotypes in Vidarbha.

"We don't know yet whether these varieties will suit the agro-climatic and soil conditions. Moreover, releasing the second generation Bt (Bollguard II) for a widespread commercial use is surely disastrous," admits a senior scientist.
He also warns that it is only a matter of time before the widespread emergence of resistance in bollworms will cause the Bt cotton technology to collapse.
Peasants' confusion would be compounded by the introduction of new varieties this season. As companies compete for a greater market share, their fierce and relentless promotional tactics will expose the farmers to far greater risks.

Farmers' leader Vijay Jawandhia argues, "Bt cotton has not brought about any increase in productivity. Also, it has not reduced the use of chemicals."
Various state government reports and statistics too suggest that Bt cotton has not brought about any rise in productivity or decline in the pesticide use.

21/05/2007

Western Vidarbha - Maharashtra - Home state of heavy weight Indian Agriculture Minister / Cricket Minister :

1. SANTOSH CHINAJI DALMAL, VILLAGE ADEGOAN KHURD, WASHIM
2. KISAN KHANDAR SURPAM, SHRIRAMPUR, YAVATMAL
3. BALIRAM MATHU GAJBHIYE, ADAGOAN, AMARAVATI
4. KIRAN KRISHANNA SOLAV, RAMPUR, AMARAVATI
5. SURESH GANPAT KHANDARE, KOPAMADVI, YAVATMAL

FIVE FARMERS IN VIDARBHA WHO COMMITTED SUICIDES IN LAST TWO DAYS IN DIFFERENT PART OF VIDARBHA TAKING TOLL OF SUICIDE IN MAY TO 41.FARMERS WHO ARE SMALL AND MARGINAL BELONGING DALIT AND TRIBAL COMMUNITY ARE IN DEEP DISTRESS AND COMMITTING SUICIDES DUE TO FRESH CREDIT CRUNCH AS MOST OF THEM WHO BARROWED THE CROP LOAN FROM THE BANK AFTER INTEREST WAIVER AND RECONSTRUCTION OF PENDING FAILED TO REPAY DUE COTTON CROP FAILURE AND POOR PRICES FOR RAW COTTON

BT Cotton - 2007 Mass Sowing Again in India

Indian Agriculture Ministry Bystander in BT Cotton Sowing Plans of 2007 -
THE RECORD 350 COTTON FARMERS SUICIDES IN VIDARBHA : IT'S ONCE AGAIN BT COTTON MASS SOWING IN VIDARBHA

Nagpur, 01 MAY 2007 :

The cotton growing area of western Vidarbha under severe agrarian crisis, has recorded 350 farm suicides, in first four months of 2007.
However, there is no drop in sowing of high failure bt. Cotton in this region as it is reported locally that this year area covered under bt. Cotton sowing is likely to be doubled from 8 lacs hectares to 16 lac hectares.
Why ?
All seed traders, cum money lenders, are giving BT Cotton seeds on credit to these debt trapped farmers, after more than 95% cotton farmers failed to repay crop loan this year, due poor cotton crop, and drop in market rate of sold cotton.
Government machinery and Indian bankers, are not giving fresh loans to defaulter cotton farmers where as Monsanto is giving huge credit and lucrative schemes to seed traders and they, in turn, are forcing innocent cotton farmers to purchase these failure prone BT Cotton seed.
Local government administration has reported this fact to Indian Govt. but everybody is turning blind eye as American genetically modified seed giant Monsanto has protection from US Agriculture Department, where as in India, Agriculture Minister and Cricket Minister of India Bhau Sharad Pawar is patron of this company in India, as infomed by Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti in press note released today.

VJAS has been demanding complete ban on bt. Cotton in west vidarbha as now it's official that bt. Cotton has been failed in rainfed area and in all most all 95% area is rain fed and farmers has to depend upon monsoon which is not regular and small and marginal farmers are suffering from massive economic losses due to frequent failure of bt. cotton and majority of 2500 cotton farmers suicides reported since June 2005 are small and marginal farmers who opted bt. Cotton seed in rain fed area, Kishor Tiwari of vjas added.

THE MISLEADING TABLE OF SHOWN IN ADVT. OF BOLLGARDII IS LIKE THIS :

BOLLGARDII
BOLLGARD
BOGUS BT.
HYBRID COTTON

COST OF SEED PER BAG :

(450GMS)
RS.1350
RS.750
RS.500
RS.400

COST OF FERTILIZER :
RS.1150
RS.1150
RS.1150
RS.1150

COST OF PESTICIDE :
RS.450
RS.450
RS.900
RS.1200

OTHER COSTS :
RS.1500
RS.1500
RS.1000
RS.1200

TOTAL INPUT COST :
RS.4500
RS.3850
RS.3550
RS.3950

PRODUCTION COST :
RS.1100
RS.900
RS.500
RS.500

PRODUCTION EXPECTED :
1100 KG.
900 KG.
500KG.
500KG.

OUTPUT COST :
RS.2000
RS.2000
RS.2000
RS.2000

TOTAL INCOME PER ACRE :
RS.22000
RS.18000
RS.10000
RS.10000

PROFIT PER ACRE :
RS.17550
RS.14150
RS.6450
RS.6050

HERE IS OFFICIAL DATA OF BT. COTTON FAILURE IN LAST THREE YEARS :
KHARIFF-YEAR
COTTON PRODUCTION IN QUINTALS
COTTON RATE
COTTON PRODUCTION PER HECTOR
SEED COST PER HECTOR
PESTICIDE COST PER HECTOR

2002-03
310 LACS
RS.2700
380KG
RS.1100
RS.1200

2003-04
260 LACS
RS.2500
340KG
RS.1200
RS.1400

2004-05
210 LACS
RS.2500
390KG
RS.1350
RS.1300

2005-06
180 LACS
RS.1780
190KG
RS.9600
RS.1650

2006-07
134 LACS
RS.1890
160KG
RS.5600
RS.1350

VJAS has demanded that Government of India should ban bollgardII Bt cotton in Vidarbha to stop on going farm suicides, agrarian distress and farm debts.

In year 2007, record 350 vidarbha farmers suicides reported (JAN-70, FEB-88, MARCH -97 APRIL 95) that has exposed local administration that package implementation has dropped down the farm suicides in vidarbha by 50% as farm suicide figure of this year since Jan to April is all most double and farm suicides in vidarbha are daily increasing but administration is using official media to mislead the world that vidarbha farm suicides are on decline as maharashtra govt. on it's own website ;

http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/suicide.pdf

has put the information that exposes this claims as wrong one as vidarbha farm suicides in last three year are on record high and vidarbha Jan andolan samiti has given the reference of their own web site official data, which is like this
OFFICIAL FIGURE OF FARM SUICIDES IN SIX DISTRICT OF WEST VIDARBHA :

http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/suicide.pdf
FARM SUICIDE AND YEAR
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007 TILL APRIL

SUICIDE IN YEAR
49
105
143
441
560
1427
350

THIS FIGURE OF SUICIDE ARE FROM SIX DISTRICTS i.e. YAVATMAL,AMARAVATI,AKOLA,WARDHA,WASHIM,BULDHANA OF VIDARBHA AND ARE FROM GOVT. WEBSITE :
http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/suicide.pdf

RECORD SUICIDE AFTER PRIME MINISTER RELIEF PACKAGE ANNOUNCEMENT :

Dr. Man Mohan Singh, reputed Oxbridge economist, and Indian Prime minister, visited Vidarbha on 1 st July 2006 and announced Rs.3750 crore package to the cotton farmers of six districts, but official record says that there record increase in cotton farmers suicides after this package announcement as govt. of maharashtra has officially admitted 1534 farmers suicides after 1 st July 2007 as this suicide figure is all most equal to suicide figure of last decade and this fact is known to govt. officials very well.
Bureaucratic officials in charge of agriculture and relief in Maharashtraa, are saying that suicide are declining and after the trumpeted relief package, suicide rate has come down to 50%, this is matter of shame Kishor tiwari added.

Govt. of Maharashtra has selected Dr. Sudhir Goyal, Relief Commissioner to clarify this misleading suicide data as same relief commissioner has put govt. official survey which shows that 75% of 1.7 million farmers are in distress, and more that 4 lacs 34 thousands cotton farmers, are in deep distress and their hardship are needed to be addressed has not been taken care of in these so called relief packages.

Link to survey : http://www.vnss-mission.gov.in/docs/servey.pdf

17/02/2007

Western Vidarbha :

1. SHYAMRAO CHANDRABHAN KINAKE VILLAGE- UMARI-YAVATMAL
2. VINOD SHAYRAO KINAKE-VILLAGE-UMARI-YAVATMAL
3. NILKANTH VITHOBA GURNULE-VILLAGE -WEDASI IN YAVATMAL
4. ASHOK JAYRAM KOLLAR PALSONI IN YAVATMAL
5. BAB TUKARAM CHIKAT OF SAWALI(WAGH) IN WARDHA
6. VINAYAK MOTIRA, ADE OF SAKHARA IN WARDHA
7. TAPAJI DAMAJI KORADKAR OF VILLAGE SHIRALA IN BULDHANA
8. RAMRAO VITHAL GANGAWANE OF DEPUL IN WASHIM
9. BAPURAO SHIRIKRISHNNA GAIGOLE OF DHANEGOAN IN AMARAVATI

Shyam and Vinod were a adivasi father and son duo.
Huge debt, healthcare costs and agrarian distress are assumed to be behind the tribal father and son suicide pacts.
The Divisional Commissioner in charge of Relief, Shri Sudhir Goyal is reported to be shedding crocodile tears and giving interviews to media - "My heart goes out for those who ended their lives out of acute frustration and for their bereaved families even as I am worried about those caught in the web of a flawed system".
The Finance Minister Shri Chidambaram and Shri Sharad Pawar of Central Congress government, have no time to even meet representatives of suicidal and indebted farmers with no hope.
Congress Government seems more keen on implementing Farm Exit Policy for Vidarbha farmers rather than the announced Prime Minister package.