Farmers in Chhattisgarh are concerned about counterfeit seeds

Raipur | Correspondent: Farmers in Chhattisgarh in the name of certified seeds are being deceived every year.

In the pursuit of higher production, farmers are being supplied with substandard seeds marketed as certified seeds.

Farmers of districts comprising of Kabirdham, Bemetara, Mungeli, Rajnandgaon, Bilaspur, Bastar have been feeling cheated after using these unconventional seeds as they discovered that theses seeds are failing to germinate.

In the past month, action was taken against 21 shops of Bastar selling seeds and fertilizers. Instances of selling fake seeds and fertilizers have been discovered even in the capital, Raipur, but no action has been taken to address the issue so far.

It is reported that most firms producing certified seeds are from outside the region. These companies sell substandard seeds and then disappear, leaving the farmers to suffer the consequences.

Despite complaints against these firms for jeopardizing farmers’ futures, no action is taken. Instead, many of these firms are awarded contracts again for the following year.

Many firms change their names and re-enter the contracts.

Only 44 Out of 154 Firms Are from Chhattisgarh

As per an official website of Agriculture department, of the total 154 contracted firms selling certified seeds only 44 firms belong from Chhattisgarh, remaining are from other states.

Of these 44 firms within the state, 30 firms are from Raipur, Durg and Mahasamund has three each, Bilaspur has reported two firms while one each in Bhatapara, Kawardha, Baikunthpur, Janjgir, Kondagaon, and Raigarh.

On the website’s list of firms, the names and addresses are often inaccurately recorded. For most firms, only the names of localities are provided in the addresses.

With the available information, it is impossible to determine the company’s exact location.

Issue raised in the assembly

The distribution of substandard fertilizers and seeds in Chhattisgarh has become a heated topic recently.

The issue has sparked significant uproar in the assembly.

Former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has brought this matter to the forefront, demanding a response from the agriculture minister.

There have been ongoing complaints about seeds failing to germinate from various parts of the state.

Due to the spoilage of seeds, farmers are forced to re-sow, but they lack available seeds.

The situation is so dire that there is a risk of land becoming unproductive, which would result in substantial losses for the farmers.

Samples Did Not Pass the Test

Following farmers’ complaints, Chief Minister Vishnudeo Sai instructed a strict ban on the distribution of fake or substandard fertilizers, seeds, and pesticides.

Subsequently, district-level officers from the Agriculture Department conducted ongoing raids in their areas, collecting samples of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides for lab testing.

The results showed that 71 seed samples, 18 chemical fertilizer samples, and 19 pesticide samples failed the tests.

The Agriculture Department has issued notices to the involved firms and banned the sale of these products.

The issue was also addressed during the previous government.

During the Congress government, the issue of the Seed Corporation making payments to a blacklisted company was raised in the Assembly.

In the budget session, the then Leader of Opposition, Dharamlal Kaushik, highlighted the matter of lifting the ban and the payment to the blacklisted company in the House.

Following this, the then Agriculture Minister, Ravindra Choubey, admitted the error, stating, “It was inappropriate to settle dues with the blacklisted company. The company was debarred as soon as we received the information.”

The then Assembly Speaker, Charandas Mahant, directed the Assembly Committee to investigate the issue.

In this case, the Chhattisgarh State Seed and Agriculture Development Corporation had paid an outstanding amount of Rs 2 crore 61 lakhs to Trimurti Plant Science Firm, despite its blacklisting.

The opposition created a commotion in the House over this matter.

Farmers were deceived in this manner as well

In 2021, a case emerged in Dhamdha block of Durg where farmers were defrauded under the guise of seed production, prompting the state government to order an investigation.

A team of officers from the Agricultural University and the Agriculture Department was assembled to look into the matter.

Over 250 farmers from Dhamdha lodged complaints against Bayer Seed Production, an international seed company.

The farmers claimed that the company had entered into an agreement with them for the production of hybrid male and female paddy seeds. The farmers planted these seeds on approximately twelve hundred acres.

According to the agreement, the company was responsible for providing seeds and fertilizers.

When the crop was ready for harvest, it yielded no grains. Only two to five quintals of paddy were harvested per acre.

The agreement included a compensation clause for losses, but company officials reneged on their commitment to compensate for the losses.

Officer accused of distributing inferior seeds

In 2019, a junior officer in the Dhamtari Agriculture Department accused a senior officer of distributing substandard seeds.

The junior officer lodged a complaint with the then Collector, R. Prasanna.

Sunil Dewangan, a rural agriculture extension officer in the Dhamtari Agriculture Department, submitted a written complaint against Deputy Director LP Ahirwar.

The complaint alleged fraud and misconduct involving the farmers.

According to Sunil Dewangan, during the Rabi season, farmers across all four blocks of the district were encouraged to grow safflower crops with a plan to provide certified seeds.

However, farmers received ordinary seeds sold as certified ones at a rate of Rs 40 per kg. This discrepancy led to significant uproar.