The task force on checking production and sale of spurious seed has decided to step up vigil on routes connecting Telangana with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra to prevent the flow of inferior quality seed into the State from Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh through other neighbouring States.
At a meeting held here on Tuesday, Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan Reddy suggested that the authorities step up vigil on Kurnool-Gadwal, Zaheerabad, Prakasam-Guntur, and Asifabad-Bellampally routes which helped illicit traders smuggle in the spurious seed into different parts of Telangana from Gujarat and AP for the last few years.
The spurious seed problem could be checked further with focus on increased vigilance on those routes, he felt. Although the menace had come down considerably in recent years due to stern measures initiated by the State Government including invoking Preventive Detention Act against those indulging in spurious seed trade, it would need continuation of such action with the coordination of police, agriculture and other departments to minimise it further.
The Minister asked the authorities to create awareness on the adverse impact of herbicide-tolerant (HT) cotton seed on the biodiversity as the farmers using such seed would resort to indiscriminate use of herbicides. He suggested they allow traders to rectify small mistakes, if any, instead of initiating harsh action in the first instance itself as Telangana was meeting 60% of the country’s total seed needs.
Stating that the State needed about 18 lakh quintals of seed of all crops raised in the kharif season including paddy, cotton, redgram, chilli, maize and others, the Minister said the seed production was mainly done by the private sector and it was the responsibility of the Central and State Governments to control them. The State Government had spent ₹4.5 lakh crore on agriculture sector during the last nine years and the positive impact was visible in the progress of villages, increase in production, strengthening of rural economy among others.
Director General of Police Anjani Kumar, Director-CID Mahesh M. Bhagwath, City Commissioner of Police C.V. Anand, Cyberabad Commissioner M. Stephen Ravindra, Secretary (Agriculture) M. Raghunandan Rao, Director (Horticulture) M. Hanumantha Rao, Special Commissioner (Agriculture) Hanmanth K. Zendge, Director (Marketing) G. Laxmibai, MD Seed Development Corporation K. Keshavulu, other senior officials of police and agriculture departments participated. District officers participated via video conference.
