The whitefly attack on the Bt cotton variety in Punjab and Haryana reportedly contributed to the suicides of at least 3 farmers around the city of Bhatinda and tens of thousands of protestors took to the streets to demand state aid. [1]
Some 10 years ago, these same farmers were thrilled when they harvested the first bumper crop of genetically modified (GM) cotton. GM crops immediately caught on because of their seeming ability to produce high yields and the living standards improved. Since 2002, cotton output as increased fourfold. That was the year that commercial cultivation of GM cotton was first permitted in India, transforming the nation into world’s top producer and second-largest exporter
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