U.S. seed giant Monsanto Company said Tuesday it has sold 1.3 million packets of genetically modified cotton seeds in India this year, recording an almost five-fold increase over 2003 sales.

The stronger sales "demonstrate that the Indian farmer is willing to adopt a technology that delivers consistent benefits from reduced pesticide use and increased income," Ranjana Smetacek, the spokeswoman of the Indian operations of St. Louis, Missouri-based Monsanto, told The Associated Press.

The figures are for the 2004 sowing season, which runs from June to August.

In 2003, Monsanto sold 230,000 packets of 450 grams each and in 2002, the first year the company was allowed to sell bio-engineered cotton in India, it sold around 72,000 packets.

Monsanto's BT cotton, the only genetically modified crop allowed in India, has faced stiff opposition from environmental groups, which dampened its sales in the last two years. Monsanto's office in the southern city of Bangalore was last year attacked by protesters.

Critics say the adverse effects of GM seeds have not been studied adequately, that the seeds are environmentally hazardous and could contaminate the genes of native varieties through cross pollination, eventually making farmers poorer.

However, advocates of genetic modification say it helps fight plant diseases, increase yield and improves the nutritive value of food crops.

BT stands for bacillus thuringiensis, a bacterium whose gene is injected into cotton seeds to give them resistance against boll worms, a major concern for farmers in India.

The Indian government allows BT cotton cultivation in six of its 29 states. The six states are in the western and southern parts of the country. However, in the fertile northern states, BT cotton is illegally planted by some farmers.

Four strains of BT cotton seeds are currently sold in India and scientists have developed at least one Indian variant of Monsanto's seeds.

© 2004 Forbes.com Inc.