(a) whether the Government has noticed that two pesticides and seed giants –Bayer and Monsanto are in process of merger, if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether the Competition Commission of India (CCI) is examining India’s stand on the merger between Bayer and Monsanto and if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether Bayer has 60-65 per cent market share and Monsanto enjoys 15-20 per cent market share in corn insecticides in both the upstream market for seed treatments and downstream market for sale of seeds in the country and if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether it is a fact that post-merger “Baysanto” will have a dominant platform in cotton seeds, vegetable seeds as well as in insecticides for rice, cotton and corn and will face insignificant competition and if so, the details thereof;
(e) whether the Government is planning any remedy to deal with the possible adverse effects and save Indian agrarian sector especially in relation to innovation of germ plasm, traits, breeding technologies, crop protection, big data and digital farming and if so, the details thereof;
and
(f) whether the Government is aware of the peculiar vulnerability of poor and illiterate Indian farmers and their lack of bargaining power which will make the situation more complex, if so, the details thereof?