Maharashtra bans Bt cotton seeds of Mahyco Monsanto Biotech

After months of dithering, Maharashtra has finally banned Mahyco Monsanto Biotech (MMB) from carrying out any trade in cotton seed in the state. MMB is a joint venture of Mahyco (a Maharashtra-based hybrid seed company), the Maharashtra government and Monsanto Holdings Pvt Ltd, a US-based company. Mahyco is also a key distributor of Bt cotton seeds in the country.

Climate change threat to food produce in India, says study

“Unable to clear a loan of Rs 2 lakh, my son committed suicide. I had to sell my ancestral house and cattle to repay the loan,” says Lakshmi Devi, 48, of Pathakotha Cheruvu village in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district. Devi's woes did not end with the repayment of loan. Managing her farm is becoming increasingly difficult, partly because it is expensive, and mostly because of the  unpredictable weather. Changes in rainfall pattern have increased pest-related problems, especially during the flowering season, she says.