Vol. 12, Special Issue 6 (2023)

Seed is the most important input component for productive agriculture. Cotton is one of the most important commercial crops cultivated in India and accounts for around 25 per cent of the total global cotton production. It is popularly known as the “white gold” and “fiber king” across the nation. It plays a major role in sustaining the livelihood of an estimated 6 million cotton farmers and 40-50 million people engaged in related activity such as cotton processing & trade. The Indian Textile Industry consumes a diverse range of fibers and yams and the ratio of use of cotton to non - cotton fibers in India are around 60:40 whereas it is 30:70 in the rest of the world. The study covered 120 farmers from Amreli district of Gujarat state.

The socio-economic analysis of the respondents revealed that a majority of the farmers (54.16 per cent) were involved in both farming and animal husbandry. In terms of land ownership, around 40 per cent owned land between 4 and 10 hectares. The study also found that 56.66 per cent of farmers had been cultivating Bt. cotton from 4 to 6 years. The top factors influencing the purchase of Bt. cotton seeds were production, best results, and quality. Farmers had a positive perception of Bt. cotton in terms of production, ball size, spray requirements, picking, number of balls, row cotton price, germination, promotional activity, and ball weight.

Promotional tools such as farmer meetings and company campaigns were widely used, emphasizing the importance of direct interaction and targeted marketing efforts. However, farmers faced constraints in purchasing the seeds, with high price being the most significant concern. Non-availability of seeds at the desired time and quantity, as well as poor seed quality, were also identified challenges.