In a major initiative, the State Government has constituted joint task force comprising officials from the Police and Agriculture departments to check sale of spurious seeds.
The 10 teams which were formed at the behest of Agriculture Minister Pocharam Srinivas Reddy swung into action with immediate effect and conducted raids on seed processing and seed storage outlets in different places including Boothpur, Jadcherla, Gadwal, Devarakonda, Warangal and Adilabad. They seized 31,563 packets of cotton seed estimated to cost ₹ 1.43 crore and 888 quintals of seeds of other crops valued at ₹ 2.63 crore in the raids conducted at 165 places.
Farmers cheated
The constitution of the teams follows reports on sale of spurious seed by vested interests that were duping gullible farmers. The situation appeared to turn serious as sowing picked up in different parts of the State following onset of monsoon.
The Minister who reviewed the situation with senior officials led by Agriculture Secretary C. Parthasarathy directed the officials concerned to continue the raids and take stringent measures against those found guilty of selling spurious seeds.