logo
Illegal HT cotton seeds make deep inroads into agriculture markets, hits legal traders

Illegal HT cotton seeds make deep inroads into agriculture markets, hits legal traders

Time of India10-06-2025
Nagpur: The prohibited herbicide-tolerant (HT) seeds — genetically engineered to survive toxic weed killers — have made deep inroads into the market, and it may end up leaving a major dent in the legal trade of BG2 cotton seeds this sowing season, say dealers in agricultural inputs.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Farmers are buying the HT seed at nearly double the price at which the legitimate BG2 cotton is available, said sources. Farmers told TOI that HT seeds are being sold for as much as Rs1,200 to 1,500 a packet, whereas the permitted BG2 seeds are being sold for Rs850. Rates of the latter are fixed by the govt.
CD Mayee, former director of Central Institute of Cotton Research, said at least 30% of the area under cotton is expected to have HT cotton.
HT seeds were developed by multinational agriculture giant Monsanto in alliance with the Maharashtra Hybrid Seeds Company (Mahyco). It has an additional gene that can survive even if weed-killers (herbicides) are used. It does away with the need for manually clearing farms of weeds before and after sowing. Just spraying glyphosate-based herbicide helps, as the weeds are killed and the HT cotton survives. The BG2 cotton is only resistant to the bollworm pest.
However, the variety could not get formal approval from the govt as the trials were stopped midway by the Mahyco-Monsanto combine. Yet, as the seeds were pilfered, Gujarat emerged as the hub for illegal cultivation, said sources.
Pankaj Bothra, a dealer in Yavatmal, said traders have to book their quota of cotton seeds by paying in advance. There are chances that many may not be able to even recover their costs due to the rampant sale of HT seeds.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
There are chances that some may even ask for a refund from seed companies due to substantial stock remaining unsold.
Sharad Chandak of Nagpur Agro Dealers Association also acknowledged that HT seeds are hitting their business. Farmers are preferring the HT seeds, which the peddlers claim have dual protection covering both pests and herbicides. In fact, the grey market dealers start operations much before the official sales are allowed.
The govt does not allow the sale of cotton seeds before June 15, a source said.
Sources said the packets are transported in passenger buses from Gujarat, with dealers bringing small quantities to avoid detection. In a recent trend, loose seeds are brought to Vidarbha and then packed by local agents. So far, the agriculture department has seized 1,800 packets and over 1.7 tonnes of loose HT seeds in Nagpur division. Farmers say this is just the tip of the iceberg.
The real action must happen in Gujarat — where the source lies.
Meanwhile, even as BG2 seeds sales are down, dealers are also stocking glyphosate-based weed killers anticipating demand due to the HT seeds. Legally, glyphosate cannot be used in cropped areas but it is easily available in stores, said sources.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Yali Capital closes Rs 893 cr deeptech fund, eyes 8 portfolio firms by year-end
Yali Capital closes Rs 893 cr deeptech fund, eyes 8 portfolio firms by year-end

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Yali Capital closes Rs 893 cr deeptech fund, eyes 8 portfolio firms by year-end

BENGALURU: Bengaluru-based Yali Capital has closed its debut deep tech-focused fund at Rs 893 crore (about $104 million), exceeding its original Rs 500 crore target and Rs 310 crore greenshoe option. The Sebi-registered Category II AIF plans to deploy the fund across early-stage and late-stage investments in sectors such as semiconductors, AI, robotics, aerospace and smart manufacturing. Founding Managing Partner Ganapathy Subramaniam told TOI that the fundraise was completed entirely through word-of-mouth, without any bankers or distributors. 'Nearly 78% of our capital has come from India – entrepreneurs, family offices, fund-of-funds like Sidbi's FFS and Self-Reliant India Fund, and corporate backers including Infosys and Qualcomm,' he said. The fund's leadership team also committed Rs 15 crore each to the vehicle. Yali Capital operates through a dual structure comprising a Sebi-registered AIF and a GIFT City-based feeder vehicle to attract global capital. The firm has already backed five startups and plans to invest in three more by the end of the year. The average cheque size ranges from $2 million to $10 million, with ownership targets varying from 20% at seed stage to as low as 5% in late-stage deals. The fund will allocate 70% of capital to early-stage bets and the remaining 30% to growth-stage investments, primarily in companies at Series D and beyond. 'Of the early-stage capital, about 45% will go into first institutional rounds and 25% into follow-ons,' Subramaniam said, adding that the fund will not participate in secondary transactions. Subramaniam, who has previously led and backed deep tech companies such as Cosmic Circuits, IdeaForge and Tonbo Imaging, said the team brings strong operator experience and intends to work closely with founders. 'Today alone, two of our portfolio startups spent three hours each with us. We're not just capital providers, we want to help execute the vision,' he said. While Yali's early-stage focus will be on experienced or university-affiliated founders in deep tech, the late-stage strategy leans heavily on partner Mathew Cyriac's track record of taking companies like MTAR Technologies and Data Patterns public. 'India has several deep tech firms doing hundreds of crores in revenue but struggling to scale. We want to come in, back them with capital and execution, and take them public,' Subramaniam said. Asked about sectoral depth, he flagged manufacturing, robotics, and chip design as areas with strong founder readiness. 'India is the world's second-largest chip design talent pool. The challenge is converting that into product companies that can compete globally,' he said. The firm expects to announce a large investment in the chip design space in the coming weeks. While India's domestic deep tech market remains early, Subramaniam said the LP response and founder momentum point to a long-term inflection. 'The ecosystem is maturing. There's plenty of pipeline. Now it's about patient capital and execution.' Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now

Ayodhya horror: Kin dump elderly woman on road in dead of night; she dies hours later
Ayodhya horror: Kin dump elderly woman on road in dead of night; she dies hours later

Mint

timean hour ago

  • Mint

Ayodhya horror: Kin dump elderly woman on road in dead of night; she dies hours later

In a tragic incident, an elderly woman in Ayodhya died after she was allegedly abandoned by her kin late at night near the roadside in Kishundaspur locality, the Times of India reported on Friday. The report added that the elderly woman, who was abandoned to suffer in the cold, was spotted by the people lying unattended on Thursday morning in Ramnagari. The police personnel admitted the elderly woman to Ayodhya Medical College, however, she succumbed to her condition during the treatment. The entire incident of abandoning the elderly woman by her kin was captured on CCTV, which shows an e-rickshaw arriving at the spot and three individuals leaving the woman by the roadside. Meanwhile, the police are scanning the video and trying to identify the vehicle and people involved. On being asked who the people were who had abandoned the old woman and the reason she was left behind, SP City Chakrapni Tripathi said, as quoted by TOI, "We have obtained CCTV footage showing a man and two women abandoning her. Efforts are underway to trace them and determine the identity of the deceased. Strict action will be taken against the culprits once identification is confirmed and postmortem is completed." Following the incident, it has sparked widespread outrage and city residents have demanded strict punishment of the inhumane act, add the report. In another shocking incident, a 60-year-old man in Japan was arrested after police found his mother's dead body in her flat. Amazingly, the man had been there for 10 years. Takehisa Miyawaki said he did not report her death due to social phobia. The man has no job or permanent home. In May, the case came to light when a government worker in Kobe saw Miyawaki limping on the road. When asked about his identity and mother, Miyawaki stayed silent. This made the official suspicious, and he informed the police. In June, police went to the flat registered under Miyawaki's mother's name. They found piles of garbage. Later, they discovered a skeleton in the toilet.

Security forces in Bastar eyeing on PLGA platoon no. 1, the new elite protection unit for secret transit of senior Maoist commanders in Abujhmarh
Security forces in Bastar eyeing on PLGA platoon no. 1, the new elite protection unit for secret transit of senior Maoist commanders in Abujhmarh

Time of India

time2 hours ago

  • Time of India

Security forces in Bastar eyeing on PLGA platoon no. 1, the new elite protection unit for secret transit of senior Maoist commanders in Abujhmarh

RAIPUR: Security forces in Chhattisgarh have uncovered a new layer of the Maoist insurgency network which is a specialized platoon unit, created to provide secure transit for top Maoist commanders between districts and even across state borders. Now, they are on target of security forces. Bastar range inspector general of police P Sundarraj told TOI, 'The existence and function of this covert platoon, previously under the radar, came to light following a fierce encounter in the deep forests of Abujhmarh on July 18, in which six Maoists were gunned down, including DVCM Rahul Punem who was commander of the unit. This unit, known as PLGA platoon number 1, has emerged as a key operational link, ensuring the safe movement of Maoist leadership between core areas in Chhattisgarh and neighboring Odisha.' This elite and highly trained group, known as a 'covering party', serve as a heavily armed shield during covert movement of Politburo and Central Committee members of the banned outfit through the dense forests of Bastar and neighbouring states. IG Sundarraj said, 'PLGA platoon number 01 of the banned CPI (Maoist) was constituted in March 2024 as a strategic off-shoot of the larger Maoist insurgency structure. It operated under the command of DVCM Rahul Punem, whose body was recovered from Pariyadi-Kakur jungles of Abujhmarh in Narayanpur district, on July 18 after a high-intensity exchange of fire.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is this legal? Access all TV channels without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo The platoon's primary objective was to launch guerrilla attacks on security forces across the Marh division and the unit actively supported LOS (Local Organisation Squad) in maintaining a supply corridor between Marh and North Bastar, and securing operational zones like Sonpur–Maroda, often through ambushes, IED planting, and reconnaissance missions. IG Sundarraj added, 'This platoon recently neutralized, was only 15 months old and included handpicked armed cadres from multiple Maoist formations, and was brought together specifically to protect senior leaders during transit. Meanwhile, PLGA company number 7 provides close protection to senior Maoist figures. Evidence of this was seen during the top Maoist Basavaraju's encounter on May 21, where nearly two dozen cadres of company number 7 were found dead in the Abujhmarh forests.' The July 18 encounter, he said, marked the first confirmed strike against this transit security unit after more than a year of surveillance and intelligence tracking. While six of them were killed, there's high possibility of several such units in existence and intel inputs would be required to track their locations. Strategic Setback to Maoist Security Network The neutralization of the PLGA platoon number 1 is a severe blow to the Maoist leadership network, as it cripples their ability to safely move commanders across the Red Corridor, a CRPF official in the region said. This was not an ordinary foot soldier unit, its members were trained guerrillas tasked with protecting leaders like Basavaraju and Sonu. With the disruption of this elite platoon, security agencies believe the Maoist insurgency is steadily losing ground in its own territory. As security forces adapt their strategies to target such elite protection units, it is expected that leadership mobility within the CPI (Maoist) will be severely restricted, leaving senior commanders more exposed than ever before.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store