The centre has announced a maximum sale price for Bt cotton seed varieties to bring about uniformity in cotton seed prices across the country, the agriculture ministry in a release said.

The price has been fixed on the basis of recommendations made by a nine-member panel set up on January 28 for this purpose by the centre.

The maximum sale price of Bt Cotton seed BG-I version has been fixed at Rs. 635 while for the BG-II version it is Rs. 800. The seed packets would be of 450 grams, including 120 grams refugia. The price is valid for the financial year 2016-17

Agriculture minister, Radha Mohan Singh said the nine-member committee was set up to recommend the maximum sale price of Bt cotton seeds. “After taking into consideration the seed value, licence fees, including one-time, and recurring royalty (trait value), trade margins and other taxes government declared the maximum sale price of Bt. cotton seed,” Singh said.

He justified the price control measure. “As there was no uniformity in pricing of Bt cotton seeds across the country, the central government has recently intervened and issued a Cotton Seed Price (Control) Order, 2015, to fix a uniform price of Bt cotton seed for the benefit of farmers,” the minister said.