Spurious cotton seed menace continues to haunt Mancherial

Despite police action, the spurious cotton seed menace continues in Mancherial, with cases rising in recent years. Smugglers operate across State borders, targeting farmers with illegal seeds, while enforcement gaps and alleged corruption hamper control efforts.

Mancherial: The spurious cotton seed menace continues to haunt the district even as police claim that measures are being taken to control it by forming task force teams and registering cases against smugglers and habitual offenders.

As per data available with the police, the district saw 17 cases booked against 55 persons for allegedly smuggling spurious cotton seeds in 2025, as against 12 cases in 2024, reflecting a rise of 40 percent. It registered four cases in 2023, while five cases were recorded in 2022. A total of 4,293 kg of seeds worth Rs 1.06 crore were seized in the last three years.

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Police officials convene review meetings to chalk out an action plan to contain the entry of spurious seeds into the district every year in April and May. Teams comprising police, revenue and agriculture departments are being formed to control the smuggling of seeds. Besides, task force teams are also being formed by the police to check the menace. The teams lay special focus on habitual offenders and their networks, police officials claimed.

However, smugglers from Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh continue to operate every year. “They procure spurious cotton seeds from manufacturers in neighbouring states by February. They bring the seeds into the district by hoodwinking police and agriculture officials at least two months prior to the onset of the monsoon,” a source said.

According to sources, the offenders cleverly store the seeds in towns and villages of Maharashtra and Karnataka on the borders of Telangana to evade detection. They then recruit agents in several parts of the district to sell the seeds to cotton farmers. They transport the seeds to secret warehouses situated in the district with the help of these agents. The agents then deliver the seeds to farmers at their doorsteps.

Sources said that the turnover of the seed market was estimated to be around Rs 50 crore in the erstwhile Adilabad district. The smugglers are reportedly wooing farmers by claiming that herbicide-tolerant (HT) cotton seeds can withstand glyphosate applied to remove weeds in cotton crops. Gullible farmers are coming forward to buy these seeds to reduce the cost involved in clearing weeds.

It is alleged that members of task force teams specially formed by the police department accept bribes from smugglers, resulting in the menace continuing unabated. The teams swing into action only after completion of seed trading. They act on tip-offs shared by members of the smuggling rackets due to internal bickering. Lapses in patrolling at inter-State check-posts can also be attributed to the menace.

Year: 2025

Cases: 17

Persons involved: 55

Seeds seized: 1,353 kgs

Value of seeds: Rs 33.66 L

Rise in cases: 42 %

Year: 2024

Cases: 12

Persons involved: 23

Seeds seized: 1,611 kgs

Value of seeds: Rs 46.04 L

Rise in cases: 200 %

Year: 2023

Cases: 4

Persons involved: 13

Seeds seized: 1,333 kgs

Value of seeds: Rs 26.81 L

Rise in cases: 42 %