Wed Feb 15 2017
Bayer Crop Sciences (BCS), a German company, has conducted an experiment in 30 villages with 7,500 farmers in Wardha district, cultivating Surpass (Firstclass) a high lint cotton variety and obtained good results.
The two-year project, said Bayer officials, was conducted in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, Cotton Development and Research Association (CITI-CDRA), Maharashtra ICAR-CIRCOT (Central Institute for Research in Cotton Technology), Maharashtra agriculture department, Wardha District Textile Mill, GIMATEX (Mohta Mills) Hinganghat, Central Institute for Cotton Research (CICR), ICAR Krishi Vigyan Kendra, and scientists from agriculture universities.
The farmers, besides being advised to take Surpass-Firstclass hybrid, were continuously educated in good agricultural practices for higher yield, optimum fertilizer use, other varieties with better lint content, minimizing total input cost, knowledge about market prices, various government schemes and training programmes. "Bayer was there not just to promote its variety. We never provided any physical input to farmers in the form of seeds or fertilizers etc. We were advising farmers to take up other varieties with higher ginning percentage (GP). This year, one of the farmers with very high lint content was given Rs6,000 per quintal instead of the market price of Rs5,500 at Pulgaon by a ginner. This brought mutual benefit to both grower and buyer," said GH Wairale, project coordinator CITI-CDRA.
Sharad Ramekar, market development manager from BCS, said most Indian hybrids have a GP of 28-32, but Bayer has developed two varieties with GP of 38-42%, which is equivalent to cotton from best cotton growing countries like Ethiopia in Africa and Australia. "Now, government should develop a mechanism to measure GP at purchase by ginners, with higher MSP for higher GP. This will increase profit for farmers and ginners," said Ramekar.
City unit in charge of CIRCOT Sudeep Shukla told TOI they have been monitoring GP of varieties in the country and state, especially Vidarbha, for past few years. "The Bayer claims are not exaggerated. Tests show Surpass Firstclass hybrids have GP percentage from 36.2 to 39.5%. Other 10-12 hybrids tested from the market had GP from 27.1 to 34.8. If GP is considered a major factor in deciding cotton price, farmers as well as ginner could benefit," said Shukla.
(Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com)