45 deg C is 113 deg F. And that's actual temperature, not heat index.

Just to review, Bt is the abbreviation for the bacterium Baccillus 
thuringiensis. Bt bacteria produce a natural insecticide. A gene from Bt is engineered 
into various crop plants, including corn and cotton, which causes every cell of 
the plant to produce the Bt insecticide, thus making the plants resistant to 
certain insects. 

Testing to find out whether food from such plants is safe for human 
consumption has not been done. Our FDA (Food and Drug Administration) allows food from 
these plants to be sold. Our Department of Agriculture (USDA) actively 
promotes genetic engineering of farm crops.
Tom

Subj:   GMW: Farmers' suicides, Bt cotton linked: Experts   
Date:   7/7/2006 4:50:19 PM Central Daylight Time   
From:    [log in to unmask] (GM WATCH)
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GM WATCH daily
http://www.gmwatch.org
---
In spring 2005 Monsanto brought the Bollywood star Nana Patekar to the state 
of Maharashtra to promote its Bt cotton seeds as the answer to a poor farmer's 
prayers. 

Since then in Maharashtra's main cotton growing belt of Vidarbha, there has 
been a tragic escalation in the number of farmer suicides. So far, 626 farmers 
have taken their own lives - the vast majority Bt cotton growers. 

This, as the article below makes clear, is anything but a coincidence. 

As Vijay Jawanghia of the farmers' union Shetkari Sanghatna explains, "The 
introduction of Bt cotton only increased the indebtedness of the farmer as it 
raised the overall cost of inputs by 40 per cent."

On top of that, there was already evidence that Bt cotton was unlikely to be 
successful in the growing conditions of Vidarbha. Bt cotton's high costs and 
poor results were a fatal combination, particularly given reduced state support 
for cotton farmers.

Monsanto - in its drive to squeeze every last rupee out of Maharashtra's poor 
farmers via its campaign of hype - squeezed the very life blood out of many. 

Monsanto's brand ambassador, Nana Patekar, has not been back.
---
Vidarbha farmers' suicides, Bt cotton linked: Experts  
Makarand Gadgil / Nagpur 
Business Standard, July 4 2006 
http://www.business-standard.com/general/storypage_test.php?&autono=97070 



Genetically modified cotton seeds or Bt cotton is one of the major reasons 
for the spate of farmers’ suicides in Vidarbha over the last two years, say 
experts.  
  
Last year, when Bt cotton was introduced in the region, the seeds were priced 
at a prohibitive Rs 1,700 for a 450 gm packet, almost four times higher than 
the hybrid seeds.  
  
"The reason for such a high price was the high royalty of Rs 1,400 per packet 
charged by Monsanto, the US seed company which has developed the Bt seeds 
from its licensed seed manufacturer in India," said Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha 
Janandolan Samiti.  
  
However, the Andhra Pradesh government challenged this high royalty in the 
Supreme Court, after which Monsanto agreed to reduce the royalty and this year 
seeds are available at Rs 750 per packet, still pricier by Rs 300 compared to 
the hybrid seeds, says Tiwari.  
  
Tiwari argues that the combination of high seed price and withdrawal of the 
monopoly state purchase scheme is what drove the farmers in the area to 
suicide.  
  
"With imported cotton coming in at 10 per cent duty, there was no way a 
Vidarbha farmer could compete in the marketplace profitably. This state of affairs 
will continue until the government raises the import duty on cotton to 60 per 
cent or reintroduces the monopoly purchase scheme," he said.  
  
Vijay Jawanghia of the Shetkari Sanghatna [farmers' movement] adds, "The 
introduction of Bt cotton only increased the indebtedness of the farmer as it 
raised the overall cost of inputs by 40 per cent. And unfortunately, at the same 
time prices fell from Rs 2,300 per quintal to Rs 1,700 per quintal as the state 
government withdrew its cotton monopoly purchase scheme." 
  
Tiwari also alleges that the state went ahead with the introduction of the Bt 
seed without considering its implications and despite expert opinion to the 
contrary.  
  
He points out that both Dr Punjabrao Agriculture University of Nagpur and the 
state agriculture commissioner had said that Bt cotton is ideal for areas 
where temperature doesn't exceed 35 degrees Celsius.  
  
But summer temperatures in Vidarbha often soar beyond 45 degrees. Also, it is 
not the ideal seed for areas dependent on rains.  



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