By KUNA
New Delhi : India has surpassed the United States to become the second largest cotton producing country in the world, after China, according to a study released Monday.
India has emerged as a net cotton exporter, potentially five million bales in 2007-08, according to a study released here today by International Service For the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Application(ISAAA). “BT cotton was a major factor contributing to higher rate of production from 15.8 million bales in 2001-02 to 31 million bales in 2007-08,” the study said. “India witnessed the highest proportional increase in 2007 for the third consecutive year with a 63 per cent gain to 6.2 million hectare of BT cotton,” ISAAA said. “Our studies have shown strong farmer confidence in the crops with nine of 10 Indian farmers replanting biotech cotton year on year,” ISAAA said.