The unauthorised herbicide-tolerant Bt (HTBt) cotton cultivation has spread to around 24-30 per cent of the acreage under the fibre crop in the country, with labour shortage and rising weed control costs driving the adoption in about 65-72 lakh acres during kharif 2025 season, says a study.
Conducted by the South Asia Biotechnology Centre (SABC) and supported by the Federation of Seed Industry of India and the National Seed Association of India (NSAI), the study estimated the value of the informal HTBt cotton seed market in the country at ₹820-880 crore.
Based on field surveys and stakeholder interactions across 16 cotton-growing districts in Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, the study found that farmers were increasingly turning to unauthorized seeds to address acute labour shortages, rising cultivation costs and the need for more efficient weed management.
