CM cracks down on firms selling spurious seeds, calls for kharif preparedness

Hyderabad: Following reports of early onset of the South West Monsoon, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy instructed officials of State Agriculture Department to prepare agriculture action plan for the ensuing Kharif season. Ordering the officials to ensure the availability of adequate seeds and fertilisers during the farming seasons in all districts, the CM warned a strict action against the companies which supply spurious seeds and deceive the farmers.

District Collectors and police officers in all districts have been asked to be vigilant and curb the supply of spurious seeds and fertilisers to the farmers. Revanth Reddy asserted that the Agriculture Department and the Police Department should jointly conduct district wise task force raids and keep a close watch on all the State borders.

In a bid to check the spurious seed menace, the CM instructed the officials to take strict action against those who cheat farmers. All the officials should collect the information about the spurious seeds, storage centres, and transportation and take action as per the law without sparing anyone. CM Revanth Reddy asked the authorities to book cases under the PD act against the traders who supplied spurious seeds to the farmers. Chief Secretary K Ramakrishna Rao is entrusted with the responsibility of holding regular meetings with Collectors, SPs and Police Commissioners on the availability of seeds and fertilisers so that farmers do not face any difficulties.

CM Revanth Reddy and Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao held a review meeting with Agriculture Department officials at the Secretariat on the preparedness for the ensuing kharif season. The officials briefed the Chief Minister that adequate seeds and fertilisers are already made available in all districts in view of high paddy and cotton cultivation in the ensuing faming season. Seeds of all companies which are in demand will also be stocked in the market.

Assuring the farmers that there is no need to worry about fertilisers and seeds, the Chief Minister said that, this time, farmers should pay attention to the IMD forecast in view of early onset of the monsoon season and every possibility of early rains in the State. Farmers are advised to take up crop plantation at the right time and stop buying spurious seeds. He also suggested the farmers stop buying loose seeds and keep the bills and seed packet details with them until the end of the harvest season.