Seed cos cheat 25K farmers

Seed Bowl of India plan under threat

Hyderabad: Telangana government’s ambitious plan to promote the state as ‘Seed Bowl of India’ may not fructify so easily as private seed companies have politically negated the issue.The farming community in Gadwal revenue division in Mahbubnagar district was lured by 10 private seed companies with huge profits from seed production.

But the crop failed and the farmers have been left in the lurch. Nearly 25,000 farmers are in deep distress due to failure of the cotton seed crop sown in more than 50,000 acres in the district during the last Kharif season.

The government constituted a four-member committee consisting of scientists who recommended that the government ask the companies to pay compensation to the affected farmers. Following this, the Agriculture department wrote to the seed companies to pay compensation. But so far the companies have not reacted.

Telangana Rythu Sangham president Janga Reddy said the companies to which the government had written letters in November were Kaveri Seeds Pvt Ltd, Raasi, JK seeds, Ankur, Monsanto, Shriram Bioseds, Satya Agro tech, Narmanga Sagar, Nuziveedu seeds and Ajeet seeds company.

He said the committee found 65 per cent of crops were damaged as the seed companies supplied seeds to the farmers without soil testing. No technical support and scientific advice was given in using fertilizers. This led to the farmers getting into debt of Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 ( in addition to previous loans) borrowed from money lenders and also the organizers on behalf of the companies.

A farmer from Gattu village VV Narasimha (30) told The Hans India that he was given Rs 25,000 by the organizers charging 11 per cent interest . In lieu of loan, he mortgaged title deeds of his 2 acres of land. After the failure of his crop, seed company representatives were harassing for the repayment of loans.

The option before him is to sell the land , the only livelihood for his four member family. While, the Agricultural department is waiting for the reply to the notices from companies, Centre for Sustainable Agriculture representative BV Ramanajaneylu said that the major lacuna was without entering into any contract with the farmers, companies engaged farmers in seed yielding cultivation.

Companies also did not have the details of the farmers registered with them. Lack of seed policy and stringent laws to punish the companies led to exploitation of the farmers and this had led to the present fiasco.

Demanding the government to cancel the licenses of the ‘’ seed companies which had cheated the farmers, Telangana Farmers Association Vice President T Sagar threatened to intensify the agitation against the companies . Rythu Sanghala Ikya Karyacharana Samithi President Justice Chandra Kumar said a struggle by uniting all farmers associations will be taken up soon.