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Monsanto blames cold wave for maize crop failure
Patna, Apr 06: Even as an inquiry ordered by Bihar government into the failure of maize crops cultivated in over 1.4 lakh hectares is underway, US company Monsanto Holdings Private Limited, a major supplier of maize to the state, has claimed that the crops failed due to severe and unprecedented cold wave in the state.
Patna, Apr 06: Even as an inquiry ordered by Bihar government into the failure of maize crops cultivated in over 1.4 lakh hectares is underway, US company Monsanto Holdings Private Limited, a major supplier of maize to the state, has
claimed that the crops failed due to severe and unprecedented cold wave in the state.
Maize crop in Bihar faced severe and unprecedented stress from the cold wave in January this year, the company said in a release yesterday. The daily minimum temperature in January 2003 fell to as low as 2 degree celsius against a normal minimum temperature for January which was usually about 8 degree
celsius.
Thus all hybrids that reached flowering stage in January suffered seed-setting problems, it said.
Brushing aside the allegations of Monsanto supplying poor quality seeds, it said the company had the highest seed quality standards in the industry with ISO 9001-2000 quality certification for breeding, production and quality assurance processes and our seeds have a consistent record of high performance standards throughout the country.
The company clarified that it sells Asgrow 900m and not Cargill 900m and it acquired Cargill's India seeds business in 1998 and during the 2001 intergration of its business in India under the Monsanto India Limted, Cargill 900m seeds were rebranded as Asgrow 900m.
Bureau Report
Thus all hybrids that reached flowering stage in January suffered seed-setting problems, it said.
Brushing aside the allegations of Monsanto supplying poor quality seeds, it said the company had the highest seed quality standards in the industry with ISO 9001-2000 quality certification for breeding, production and quality assurance processes and our seeds have a consistent record of high performance standards throughout the country.
The company clarified that it sells Asgrow 900m and not Cargill 900m and it acquired Cargill's India seeds business in 1998 and during the 2001 intergration of its business in India under the Monsanto India Limted, Cargill 900m seeds were rebranded as Asgrow 900m.
Bureau Report