Pink bollworm may eat up half of Maharashtra’s cotton crop – The Hindu

Maharashtra is staring at an unprecedented loss of cotton crop this year, as the pink bollworm pest is estimated to have affected nearly half of the total crop. Government bodies, committees and even Opposition parties have asked the government to take measures to curb the pest. Failing to do so is likely to harm more crop next year, fear experts.

The inability of BG II to fight the pink bollworm is not a sudden occurence. In December 2015, a report by former CICR director K.R. Kranthi had warned the government that “the pink bollworm [has] developed resistance to two Cry toxins deployed in Bollgard II”.

“The government failed to maintain quality control on BG II. This is a seed scam destroying farmers. The companies should be penalised,” said Rajan Kshirsagar, vice-president, Maharashtra Rajya Kisan Sabha.

Source: Pink bollworm may eat up half of Maharashtra’s cotton crop – The Hindu