Bollworm menace: Are seed companies alone to be blamed?

Recent reports of large-scale damage (ranging between 50 and 90 per cent) to cotton crop because of pest attacks in the growing regions of Maharashtra have unnerved not only growers and policymakers alike, but also the trade and input suppliers.

While the extent of damage caused by bollworm infestation continues to be a matter of conjecture by various stakeholders, there are clear attempts to sidestep the core issue and shift the blame on to the seed companies. In the process, technology seeds have come under unjustified attack. This brings the role of the regulator and the policymakers into question.

One must recognise that in the natural process of evolution, over a period of time, insects develop resistance to a chemical or technology used season after season. One may not be able to stop the development of resistance, but surely it is possible to delay in the onset of resistance. For the purpose, adequate stewardship of the technology is necessary and for which all stakeholders must work in tandem.

The regulators have specified in their guidelines the planting of ‘refuge seeds’ which most growers seldom follow. Planting refuge seeds or allotting refuge area diverts the target insects and reduces the extent of insect attack on the main plant. It is equally important to monitor the fields for any development of insect resistance. In the event of insect occurrence beyond the ‘economic threshold limit’, protective action including prophylactic measures is called for.

An equally important extension activity would be to check the adequacy of expression of Bt protein in the seeds. If proper agronomic practices are followed and timely and scientific advisory is given to growers the problem can be substantially contained, if not eliminated.

From this perspective, the role of the regulator and that of the State government becomes critical. Problems associated with growing cotton crop — especially in the Vidharba region of Maharashtra — are well known. What has the State government done in the last many years to address the problem and what success, if any, it has achieved is something all stakeholders and the general public would like to know.

In many parts of the country, the traditional ‘extension service’ has all but disappeared. There is hardly any awareness or education campaign to benefit farmers. Growers are left to fend for themselves and often they fall prey to disinformation.

Obviously, Maharashtra is not the first State to face instances of bollworm attack on the fibre crop. Gujarat faced it in recent years; and the response was swift. All stakeholders worked together. With the assistance of research institutions and agricultural universities the problem was controlled. It is necessary for everyone to learn lessons from the past and from the experience of others.

Clearly, Maharashtra government has its job cut out. The policymakers have to stay focused on issues confronting the cotton sector and initiate timely and corrective action. The State has to be active in monitoring agricultural activities for any untoward development and continually evaluate outcomes. Blaming others may prove to be counter-productive in the long-run as growers will stop trusting the government.

Experience of the last 14 years has demonstrated that cotton is a fantastic success story in our country, catapulting it to the highest rank as cotton producer and second largest exporter. From about 17 million bales in the early 2000s, production has more than doubled, generating genuine export surplus for the world market.

It is best to stop blaming the technology, and start to put the house in order by addressing the structural issues of agriculture in general and agronomic problems associated with cotton cultivation in particular.

The author is a global agribusiness and commodities market specialist. Views are personal.

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