Your company recently received the first approval to sell insect-protected hybrid cotton seed in India. How important is this decision for the farmers in your country?

The recent decision by the government of India is a landmark decision in Indian agriculture and can be compared with the introduction of high yielding varieties and hybrids in the early sixties.  

India's National Agriculture Research System has developed varieties of Bt cotton that are not hybrid. What role will these play and how important will genetically modified varietal cotton seed be for Indian farmers?

India grows all the four species of cultivated cottons.
The total cotton area is 9 million hectares, of which 40% is grown under hybrids. An area of 20% is grown to diploid cottons.
It is yet to be seen what role varietal Bt.cotton seed will play. The full impact of Bt cotton seed is difficult to predict for the long term. However it can be said that the use of Bt cotton seeds will lead to improved production and reduced cost, which will increase the competitiveness of Indian cotton in terms of both price and quality. It will also enable the country to meet the increased cotton demand for its own internal consumption.

Cotton field yields in India average 300 kg per hectare, about half the world average. What impact does the American bollworm resistance of the newly approved hybrids have on yields?

The Bt cotton hybrids have registered increased seed cotton yield over their non-Bt counterparts and check hybrids.
The increase in yield over the non-Bt counterparts, zonal check and local check was of the order of 61, 47 and 15% respectively in the Central Zone.
However, in the Southern Zone, the Bt cotton hybrids have recorded more than 100 percent increased seed cotton yield over their counterpart non-Bt hybrids, zonal and national check hybrids.

What else is needed to lift cotton yields in India to the level of the other major producers like China and the United States?
Management of the bollworm and sucking pests are two of the major issues affecting the productivity of cotton and need to be attended to improve cotton yields.  

Apart from GMO seed, what are currently the major issues, significant challenges and key opportunities in the seed industry in your country?
The other major development in the Indian seed industry today is the development of rice and wheat hybrids and their commercialization. 

How do recent developments in the global seed industry impact seed companies and the seed trade in your country?

The Indian seed industry is also affected by the global developments.
These have led to consolidation of the industry, and Indian seed companies have aligned themselves with global players through joint ventures, sub licensings, etc.
These developments are also leading to technology upgrades and improvement of quality of the final product.

Where do you see the seed industry going in the next 5 to 10 years, both in your country and globally?

The seed industry would further consolidate in India with companies developing specialization in specific areas of the business and specific crops.
The development of hybrids in rice and wheat would be extensive in India and its impact on the productivity of these crops would be seen.
Besides this hybrids in other crops of importance to India like piegon pea, mustard are likely to be developed and made available to the Indian farmer.

What important lessons have you learned during your years in the seed industry?

The important lesson learnt is that trust is very important in the seed business. The product you deliver today creates demand for tomorrow.
Quality of the product is the most crucial aspect on which no compromise can be made.

Could you please tell us about an individual in the seed industry whom you have found particularly inspirational?
The person I would like to mention here is Dr. Wayne Freeman.
I met Dr. Wayne Freeman first time in 1964 when he was seed production specialist with the Rockefeller Foundation in India.
He consistently trained us, advised us, gave the basic lessons of quality, production, processing, marketing and research.

What would you like the readers to know about your company and its activities?

Established in 1964, Mahyco was one of the key companies that helped usher in the Green Revolution.
Mahyco has played a pioneering role in developing the private seed industry in India and is India’s largest private sector seed company today.
It offers farmers a broad range of 162 products in 38 crop species through a network of 5,000 retail outlets across India.
We have a long standing relationship of trust with our farmers.