Agriculture Department cracks down on unapproved HTBt cotton seeds

 

 

 

Even as the farmers are busy with Kharif season agricultural activities, Agriculture Department has started crack down against unapproved herbicide-tolerant (HT) Bt cotton seeds across Maharashtra. And, while the action is being taken against HTBt cotton seeds, Shetkari Sanghatana has announced that it will facilitate provision of the seeds to farmers at their doorstep as part of its ‘disobedience movement’. As per the official data, Quality Control Squad of State Agriculture Department has seized unapproved HTBt cotton seeds as well as Soyabean, Gram, and Tur grains being sold as seeds in an unauthorised manner, and registered total 19 police cases in this regard in various parts of Maharashtra. Of these 19 cases, 18 relate to unapproved HTBt cotton seeds.

 

The cases relating to cotton have been registered in Nagpur, Yavatmal, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli, Washim, Amravati, Dhule, Jalgaon, and Nandurbar districts. In above-mentioned six districts of Vidarbha region alone, 11 of these cases about unapproved HTBt seeds have been registered. Of these 11, three each are in Nagpur and Yavatmal districts, two each in Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts, and one each in Amravati and Washim districts. Of the total stock of unapproved HTBt cotton seeds seized, the highest 11,110 packets were seized in Saoner tehsil of Nagpur district, followed by 2,270 packets in Aheri tehsil of Gadchiroli district, and 1,600 packets in Chandrapur city. The total estimated worth of the HTBt cotton seeds seized in the State up to June 9, is Rs 1,90,77,000/. Apart from the HTBt cotton seeds, the department’s squad seized 6,191 quintals of Soyabean, Gram, and Tur grains being sold as seeds in an unauthorised manner at Darwha in Yavatmal district on June 5.

 

This seized stock has been estimated to be worth Rs 4.1992 crore. HTBt cotton seeds has been a matter of debate for the past some time. Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Agricultue Minister, had informed the Lok Sabha in reply to a starred question that “they (HT cotton seeds) are not approved for use in the country.” Then, he had stated that incidents of sale of HT cotton seeds had been reported from Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Telangana. As per the information given by him to the Lok Sabha then, “illegal HT cotton seeds were seized in the districts of Nagpur, Chandrapur, Parbhani, Nandurbar, Yavatmal, and Gadchiroli. Total of 9,387 illegal cotton seed packets and 1,087 kg loose cotton seeds valued at Rs 102.87 Lakh was confiscated. Further, 20 FIRs have been filed against the culprits in the respective police stations.” In 2019, Lalit Patil Bahale, President of Shetkari Sanghatana, was booked for openly sowing unapproved HTBt cotton seeds. “I sowed the seeds as part of disobedience agitation. The case is yet to come on board before the court of law. This year also, we have declared to sow HTBt seeds,” he said while talking to ‘The Hitavada’ over telephone.

 

According to him, already 26-30 per cent of the cotton area in Vidarbha and Marathwada regions has been covered under HTBt cotton as the farmers are finding it profitable for them. Now, he said, time has come for the States and Centre to accept the newer technologies and let the farmers exercise their choice of market and technology. Interestingly, even as the action is being taken against HTBt cotton seeds in Maharashtra, Bahale said that Shetkari Sanghatana would be facilitating the provision of seeds to willing farmers. “We will be releasing some phone numbers on social media soon. The farmers who wish to sow HTBt cotton, should upload 7/12 extract and demand for bags on the said numbers. We will facilitate provision of these seeds at their doorstep. This is part of disobedience movement we have started. The disobedience movement is also an attempt at scientific trials outside the official, institutional setup. We are maintaining proper records in a scientific manner,” he added.