India leads in BT cotton production

Bangalore, Jun 4 (UNI) Grossly overtaking the world average growth in geneteically engeered cotton production and acreage, India need to look to genetic manipulation of food groups to increase productivity and boost production, Dr K K Narayanan, president of Association of Biotechnolog led Enterprises (ABLE) said today.

Talking to newsmen at the curtainraiser for the seventh edition of Bangalore bio, Dr Narayanan said that India led the world in BT Cotton production, overtaking China, last year and the success could be replicated in other crops also.

Dr Narayanan has informed that Cotton growers across the country have benefitted tremendously from BT cotton which enabled cotton production in the country cross 270 lakh bales last year from 140 lakh bales in 2002. From a net importer, India had now emerged net exporter of cotton and he said that manipulation of genes could help enhance production of grains such as rice, millets and other food crop.

He said taht Currently BT Cotton was produced in about nine million acres across the country and added that over 100 hybrid cotton varieties were now available in the country.

UNI