1Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad - 500 016, Andhra Pradesh
2Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India, New Delhi
*Author for correspondence Email: raonch@gmail.com
3This paper is based on two longitudinal field studies conducted in Andhra Pradesh with funding from the Andhra Pradesh Netherlands Biotechnology Programme of the Institute of Public Enterprise, Hyderabad and Centre for Economic and Social Studies, Hyderabad.
The study has reported the impact of Bt cotton cultivation on cost of pesticides, cost of production and profitability across social categories, size-groups of farmers and different agro-climatic zones. The share of farmers in the additional gains from the adoption of biotechnology has also been worked out. The study has shown that Bt cotton technology is superior to the conventional cotton hybrids in terms of both yield and net returns. The Bt farmers from all size categories, agro-climatic zones and social groups are benefited from its cultivation compared to non-Bt farmers from the same categories. The study has inferred that this technology is scale neutral and smallholder cultivators are also benefited from it. It has advocated that the private sector can also play a crucial role in commercial crops like cotton and the gains from their efforts are obtained mainly for farmers. And therefore, creating enabling environment to encourage private sector investments is crucial in harnessing the biotechnology.
