This film, made by the women farmers of Community Media Trust, Pastapur in Medak District of AP, is a powerful documentation of the traumatic season in 2002-03,that Bt cotton farmers in one district of Andhra Pradesh went through Warangal District in Andhra Pradesh attracted the attention of the world, a couple of years ago, when more than 200 cotton farmers, caught in the vicious cycle of pests, pesticides and debts found no way out but to commit mass suicides . For an agro chemical industry like Mahyco-Monsanto Biotech Ltd., this was a God-sent opportunity to promote their GE technology. In Kharif 2002, they released two Bt cotton hybrids viz., MECH Bt 12, and MECH Bt-162 in Warangal district.

This lead the AP Coalition in Defence of Diversity and the Deccan Development Society in Andhra Pradesh to initiate a study called, Did Bt Cotton Save Farmers In Warangal District?

The film Why are Warangal Farmers Angry with Bt Cotton? is a part of this larger study and brings us the story of four farmers and the roller coaster experiences of others like them, who planted Bt cotton on their fields and suffered severe losses.

To tell this story, the women filmmakers from the Community Media Trust returned tenaciously to Warangal y, month after month, both in cold winter and searing summer, sought out their focus farmers, cajoled them to share their information and opinion to be able to ,come up with an absorbing film.

Independently as well as a part of its parental study, this film is a genuine representation of the experience of Bt cotton farmers. Through its sheer authenticity, this film nails the propaganda lie of the biotech industry.

Film made by : Community Media Trust, Pastapur
Eedulapalle Manjula, Matoor Shakuntala, Chinna Narsamma, Ippapalle Mollamma, Zaheerabad Punyamma and Humanpur Laxmamma.
and Pastapur Yesu

Produced by : AP Coalition in Defence of Diversity and
Deccan Development Society
#101, Kishan Residency, Road No 5
Begumpet, Hyderabad 500 016
Andhra Pradesh, India

For further details please contact: hyd2_ddsppvr1@sancharnet.in