Labour dynamics in Bt Cotton Production in India

The present study, undertaken to analyze the dynamics of labour in cotton production, has indicated that in major cotton-growing states, namely Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the area under cotton has decreased because of alternative employment opportunities like MGNREGA works. More than 90 per cent respondents have reported that weed management is labour-intensive and affects the yield to the extent of 35–40 per cent. The monetary benefits accrued from this technology are to the tune of 510/ha to 1726/ha. The Bt technology has been found to benefit about 81 per cent of marginal and small farmers, who constitute a majority in the farming community. This technology has addressed not only the issue of equity but also the problem of labour shortage in cotton cultivation.