Hyderabad: The agriculture department, in collaboration with the local police, has formed special teams to address the proliferation of spurious cotton seeds. These teams — comprising the assistant director of agriculture, agricultural extension officers and police personnel — will be responsible not only for monitoring seed retail outlets but also with scrutinising individual seed sellers. The teams, which will be deployed to various mandals to monitor sales, will assess the quantity of seeds and undertake prompt action if there are any violations, said officials. According to sources, it has been identified that certain traders within the state have reportedly imported counterfeit cotton seeds, including HT cotton seeds, in large quantities. It is suspected that these seeds are being sold at reduced prices and without proper company branding.In response to numerous complaints about the sale of spurious seeds, the state govt has initiated proactive measures to combat the issue. Although several cases have been registered against individuals and traders involved in the illegal sale of spurious seeds over the past year, sources indicate that intermediaries continue to carry out this trade clandestinely.Consequently, officials from the agriculture department estimate that cotton cultivation will cover approximately 50 lakh acres across the state during the upcoming monsoon season, with an anticipated demand for over 80 lakh packets of cotton seeds.However, reports suggest that unregulated loose cotton seeds are still being sold in the market. “Certain varieties of seeds are being sold in colourful packaging. These seeds are predominantly transported from Andhra Pradesh to Hyderabad and then distributed in Nalgonda, Yadadri Bhongir, Suryapet, Nagarkurnool, and Ranga Reddy districts,” said Maduhusudan Reddy, a farmer.Additionally, seeds are being reportedly sourced from Maharashtra for sale in Adilabad, Nizamabad, and Karimnagar districts. The govt has imposed a ban on HT seeds due to their environmental hazards, which include soil nutrient depletion and lower yield despite robust growth. Nevertheless, some traders are allegedly misleading farmers by claiming that HT seeds help reduce weed growth in the soil.Meanwhile, officials urged farmers to procure seeds exclusively from licensed dealers and to ensure that they receive a bill signed by both the dealer and the purchaser. Additionally, they were told to report any traders operating without proper billing in rural areas to the govt.Hyderabad: The agriculture department, in collaboration with the local police, has formed special teams to address the proliferation of spurious cotton seeds. These teams — comprising the assistant director of agriculture, agricultural extension officers and police personnel — will be responsible not only for monitoring seed retail outlets but also with scrutinising individual seed sellers. The teams, which will be deployed to various mandals to monitor sales, will assess the quantity of seeds and undertake prompt action if there are any violations, said officials. According to sources, it has been identified that certain traders within the state have reportedly imported counterfeit cotton seeds, including HT cotton seeds, in large quantities. It is suspected that these seeds are being sold at reduced prices and without proper company branding.In response to numerous complaints about the sale of spurious seeds, the state govt has initiated proactive measures to combat the issue. Although several cases have been registered against individuals and traders involved in the illegal sale of spurious seeds over the past year, sources indicate that intermediaries continue to carry out this trade clandestinely.Consequently, officials from the agriculture department estimate that cotton cultivation will cover approximately 50 lakh acres across the state during the upcoming monsoon season, with an anticipated demand for over 80 lakh packets of cotton seeds.However, reports suggest that unregulated loose cotton seeds are still being sold in the market. “Certain varieties of seeds are being sold in colourful packaging. These seeds are predominantly transported from Andhra Pradesh to Hyderabad and then distributed in Nalgonda, Yadadri Bhongir, Suryapet, Nagarkurnool, and Ranga Reddy districts,” said Maduhusudan Reddy, a farmer.Additionally, seeds are being reportedly sourced from Maharashtra for sale in Adilabad, Nizamabad, and Karimnagar districts. The govt has imposed a ban on HT seeds due to their environmental hazards, which include soil nutrient depletion and lower yield despite robust growth. Nevertheless, some traders are allegedly misleading farmers by claiming that HT seeds help reduce weed growth in the soil.Meanwhile, officials urged farmers to procure seeds exclusively from licensed dealers and to ensure that they receive a bill signed by both the dealer and the purchaser. Additionally, they were told to report any traders operating without proper billing in rural areas to the govt.
