crop of cotton buds on a farm field

Mahrashtra Govt Files Charges with Police Against Monsanto, Other Seed Companies

The company [Monsanto], which sells genetically engineered seeds, had sold its products to farmers by claiming that its Bt cotton seeds are immune to the wily worm that eats cotton balls, officials said. "The companies deceived not just the farmers, but also the government,” a senior government official told CNN-News18.

December 13, 2017 | Source: GMWatch | by

Companies deceived farmers over the pest resistance of Bt cotton, charges say

An FIR [first information report, a document filed with police that sets the process of criminal justice in motion] has been registered against US biotech major, Monsanto, in Yavatmal district of Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region after cotton farmers reported big losses because of pink bollworm infestation.

The company, which sells genetically engineered seeds, had sold its products to farmers by claiming that its BT cotton seeds are immune to the wily worm that eats cotton balls, officials said.

“The companies deceived not just the farmers, but also the government,” a senior government official told CNN-News18.

The agriculture department had written to Maharashtra police, seeking registration of a complaint against Monsanto and five other companies on December 4.

“We received complaints from farmers that they faced losses due to pink bollworm. The companies had claimed, and had even advertised that their BT Cotton seeds are resistant to the infestation. The farmers believed in these claims. In the hope that they will get high yields, they cultivated BT cotton. But an inspection by our district level committee found that large-scale pink bollworm infestation has ruined the crop,” the letter written to Vadgaon Road police station stated.