India becomes the second largest cotton growing country in the world

According to the ISAAA report, India has caught up with the United States to become the second largest cotton growing country in the world, second only to China.　　 The report stated that India’s cotton yield is the lowest in the world. India has now become a net exporter of cotton and may export 5 million bales of cotton in 2007-2008.　　 The report stated that BT cotton was the main reason for the increase in India’s production. In 2001-02, India’s output was 15.8 million bales, which increased to 31 million bales in 2007-08.　　 C P Thiagarajan, a former professor at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, said that India’s BT cotton planting area has expanded for three consecutive years, with the largest increase in 2007, which was 63% to 6.2 million hectares.　　The income of Indian farmers is also increasing, about 10,000 rupees per hectare, or even higher.　　Research shows that farmers are very confident in planting BT cotton, and 9 out of 10 Indian farmers plant biotech cotton.