Telangana: Task force to crack whip on spurious seed dealers

Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy instructed officials concerned to regularly conduct inspections in seeds shops to ensure that the dealers supply quality seeds to farmers

Hyderabad: A special task force at the State and district level would be constituted to take stern action against the persons selling spurious seeds to farmers, said Agriculture Minister Singireddy Niranjan Reddy here on Tuesday. He said the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao was also contemplating to bring in more reforms in seeds sector.

Participating in a meeting with the Director-General of Police M Mahendar Reddy and other officials to discuss measures to be taken to curb the sale of spurious seeds, he said the officials from the police and agriculture departments should work in coordination to control the spurious seeds menace in the State.

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He instructed officials concerned to regularly conduct inspections in seeds shops to ensure that the dealers supply quality seeds to farmers. Since a ban was imposed on the sale of glyphosate during monsoon, officials should cancel the license of shopkeepers who are found to be selling it, he said.

The shopkeepers should not attempt to sell the seeds that were rejected due to sub-standard quality or else they would face serious action, the Minister said. He asked the seed manufacturers to supply quality seeds keeping in view of the larger interest of farmers.

Niranjan Reddy asked police officials to invoke Preventive Detention (PD) Act against shopkeepers for selling spurious seeds. According top priority to the agriculture sector, the State government was giving power supply and water, introduced Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bheema schemes to farmers apart from extending support during crop purchases.

“At the same time, the State government’s main objective was to ensure supply of quality seeds to farmers,” he said, adding that of the 2.40 crore population in the State, 60 lakh farmers families were dependent on agriculture and eking their livelihood.

Chief Minister strongly believed that if agriculture sector was strengthened, its allied sectors would also be developed resulting in the development of the State. As the Central government has already fixed the rate of 450 grams of cotton seeds, the dealers should not sell seeds at high price, the Minister said.

The State government’s intention was to increase cotton crop, which is having demand in the market. “We set a target of cultivating cotton in 70 lakh acres during this monsoon,” he said. The cotton cultivated in Telangana is having huge demand in the country.

Officials should take necessary steps to create awareness among farmers about spurious seeds, the Minister added.

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