Spurious cotton seeds seized in Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: The extent of the menace of spurious seeds in the state has once again come to the fore with poor quality cotton seeds that was being passed off as genuine seeds, seized in the city. The value of the spurious cotton seed seized by the Task Force of the police is estimated to be about Rs 20 lakh in the market.
In the raids conducted at various locations in the city and in other districts in the state in the past few weeks, special teams of the police and agriculture department staff are reported to have registered several cases against traders and seed manufacturing companies for selling spurious seeds.Cotton, being one of the cash crops that is planted extensively during Kharif season is one of the crops that is targeted by spurious seed manufacturers. Against the price of Rs 600 to Rs 800 that for a 450 gm branded quality seed bag is sold, spurious seed manufacturers price their bags at just about half the price luring innocent farmers to buy the cheaper seed.
In June alone, in a 15 day period, officials registered 12 cases in just Nalgonda district and in just one raid, seized 1250 cotton seed packets expected to fetch the sellers Rs 12 lakh in the market.
Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao too, during a review on agriculture related issues on July 2, instructed officials, especially the police to crack down on spurious seed manufacturers and sellers.